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

38They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke from the town as a signal. 39When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin’s warriors. By that time Benjamin’s warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, “We’re defeating them as we did in the first battle!” But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town, 41the men of Israel turned and attacked. At this point the men of Benjamin became terrified, because they realized disaster was close at hand. 42So they turned around and fled before the Israelites toward the wilderness. But they couldn’t escape the battle, and the people who came out of the nearby towns were also killed.

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 out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.
• Joel 2:30And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns of smoke.
• Revelation 19:3And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”
• Joshua 8:20When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their 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