Judges 20:40

Judges 20:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven.

Context of Judges 20:40

38The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, 39the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They’re defeated before us, just as they were in the first battle.” But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke. 41Then the men of Israel returned, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had struck them. 42They retreated before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities slaughtered those between them.

Judges 20:40 word by word

וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗ת הֵחֵ֛לָּה לַעֲל֥וֹת מִן־הָעִ֖יר עַמּ֣וּד עָשָׁ֑ן וַיִּ֤פֶן בִּנְיָמִן֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֛ה עָלָ֥ה כְלִיל־הָעִ֖יר הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But when the flameמַשְׂאֵתmaώ'êth · tributeH4864
• beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
• to arise upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• out of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• with a pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
• of smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
• the Benjamitesבֶּן־יְמִינִיben-yemîynîy ben-ha-yemînîy ben-'îysh yemîynîy · BenjaminiteH1145
• lookedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• them, and, behold, the flameכָּלִילkâlîyl · entireH3632
• to heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for Judges 20:40

• Genesis 19:28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw that smoke was going up from the land like the smoke of a furnace.
• Joel 2:30I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
• Revelation 19:3A second time they said, Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever!
• Joshua 8:20The men of Ai turned and looked back, and smoke from the city was rising to the sky! They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.

Commentaries on Judges 20:40

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-48This section provides another description of the battle.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-4829-48. And Israel set liers-in-wait round about Gibeah--A plan was formed of taking that city by stratagem, similar to that employed in the capture of Ai [Jos 8:9].Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 20:40

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Congregation
• Fetch
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery
• Ascend
• Flame

Commentaries on Judges 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary