Judges 20:40
in Judges 20But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.
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.
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This verse in Judges 20
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the men of Israel would turn in the battle
on Judges 20:39-41
Verse 40 echoes Joshua 8:20, where the men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of their city rising. Benjamin likewise “looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke”. Verse 41 says they “realized that disaster had come upon them”, answering verse 34.
This site's exposition
the column of smoke began to go up
Gill describes the ambush firing the town so that the column rose high enough to be seen from far off. Ambrose writes that the flames revealed a city already taken. Gibeah burns behind them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The war remained doubtful with an uncertain issue, but in the third engagement the people of Benjamin were delivered to the people of Israel, and being condemned by the divine judgment [they] paid the penalty for their widely immoral behavior.
Begging the Lord's peace, they returned more boldly to war, and they to whom prayer had given courage and who had entertained much hope were now able to do what they planned. On a pretext of withdrawing their front lines, setting ambushes at night in the rear of the city, where a segment of the enemy was located, they followed as some retired and thus were provided with an opportunity for invading the unprotected city. Fires were quickly set and flared up while raging flames and waves of heat revealed the sight of the taken city.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? 4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Folly - That is, a lewd folly; most ignominious and impudent wickedness. Ye are - The sons of that holy man, who for one filthy action left an eternal brand upon one of his own sons: a people in covenant with the holy God, whose honour you are obliged to vindicate, and who hath expressly commanded you to punish all such notorious enormities.
But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke,.... Fire being set to it by the liers in wait, who had entered it, and who made a large fire, which caused a vast pillar of flame and smoke to arise, which might be seen a great way off: the Benjamites looked behind them; perhaps at hearing the blowing of the trumpet, and the long sound of that: and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven; went upwards, and reached to a great height.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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].
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗ת | vehamaset | and the rising | H4864 → | |
| הֵחֵ֛לָּה | hechelah | it began | H2490 → | 143 times |
| לַעֲל֥וֹת | laalot | to go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| עַמּ֣וּד | ʾamud | a pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| עָשָׁ֑ן | ʾashan | smoke | H6227 → | |
| וַיִּ֤פֶן | vaiyifen | and it turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| בִּנְיָמִן֙ | binyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| אַחֲרָ֔יו | ʾacharav | behind it | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֛ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עָלָ֥ה | ʾalah | it went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| כְלִיל־ | khelil- | [the] entirety of | H3632 → | |
| הָעִ֖יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃ | hashamayemah | the heavens towards | H8064 → | 421 times |
וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗תand the rising
vehamasetH4864 →
הֵחֵ֛לָּהit began
hechelahH2490 →143 times
לַעֲל֥וֹתto go up
laalotH5927 →890 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
עַמּ֣וּדa pillar of
ʾamudH5982 →111 times
עָשָׁ֑ןsmoke
ʾashanH6227 →
וַיִּ֤פֶןand it turned
vaiyifenH6437 →135 times
בִּנְיָמִן֙Benjamin
binyaminH1144 →166 times
אַחֲרָ֔יוbehind it
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
וְהִנֵּ֛הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עָלָ֥הit went up
ʾalahH5927 →890 times
כְלִיל־[the] entirety of
khelil-H3632 →
הָעִ֖ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃the heavens towards
hashamayemahH8064 →421 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 19:28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
it leads to
- Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 18:9
Through
Revelation 19:3And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 34:10
It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 18:18
and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 34:10
Through
Joel 2:30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
it leads to
- Acts 2:19–20
I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
- Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
- Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will…
- Luke 21:25–26
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.
- Acts 2:19–20
Where this verse is studied
About Judges
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 33; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.19.115-16; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.