Judges 20:38

38 Soothly the sons of Israel had given a sign to them which they had set in ambushments, that after that they had taken the city, they should kindle (a) fire, and that by smoke ascending on high, they should show the city (to be) taken. (And the Israelites had arranged a sign, or a signal, from those whom they had set in ambush, which was that after they had taken the city, they would kindle a fire, and that by the smoke going up on high, they would show that the city had been taken.)

Judges 20:38 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:38

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and
the liers in wait
Or an appointed time ^F26 as the Targum; so Kimchi and Abarbinel. There was a time fixed, at which the men of Israel proposed to be at Baaltamar, exactly when the Benjaminites would be drawn at a proper distance from the city, and then the liers in wait were to break forth, and rush upon it, and enter it:

and that they should make a great flame with smoke to rise up out of
the city;
set it on fire, and cause the fire to burn fiercely, that there might be a large ascent of flame and smoke to be seen afar off; which, when the men of Israel saw, they would know the city was taken.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (dewmh) "tempus constitutum", Panginus, Montanus, Junius et Tremellius, Piscator.

Judges 20:38 In-Context

36 Soothly the sons of Benjamin began to flee, when they saw, that they were the lower. And the sons of Israel saw this, and gave to them place to flee, that they should come to the ambushments made ready, which they had set beside the city. (And the Benjaminites began to flee, when they saw, that they were losing. And the Israelites saw this, and gave them a place to which to flee, so that they would come to the men who were waiting in ambush, that they had positioned outside the city.)

37 And when these ambushments had risen up suddenly from [the] hid places, and Benjamin gave (their) backs to the slayers, they entered into the city, and they smote it by sharpness of sword. (And when those set in ambush had suddenly risen up from their hiding places, and the Benjaminites had given their backs to the killers, the Israelites entered into the city, and struck down the people with their sharp swords.)

38 Soothly the sons of Israel had given a sign to them which they had set in ambushments, that after that they had taken the city, they should kindle (a) fire, and that by smoke ascending on high, they should show the city (to be) taken. (And the Israelites had arranged a sign, or a signal, from those whom they had set in ambush, which was that after they had taken the city, they would kindle a fire, and that by the smoke going up on high, they would show that the city had been taken.)

39 And when the sons of Israel set in that battle saw this; for the sons of Benjamin guessed them to flee, and they followed busilier, when thirty men of their host were slain; (And so the Israelites set in the battle saw this; but the Benjaminites guessed them to flee, and they followed them more busily, for they had already killed thirty Israelites;)

40 and they saw as a pillar of smoke go up from the city. And also Benjamin beholding behind, when he saw his city taken, and the flames be borne on high, (yea, the Israelites saw the pillar of smoke go up from the city. And then the Benjaminites looking behind, also saw that their city had been taken, and the flames of it to be borne up on high.)