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

38Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. 39And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. 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. 41And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of 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

• 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 19:28And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
• Joel 2:30And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
• Revelation 19:3And again they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
• Joshua 8:20And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon 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