Judges 20:40

40 And the cloud of smoke began to go up from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned backward, and behold, the whole city was going up {in smoke}!

Judges 20:40 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:40

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.

Judges 20:40 In-Context

38 Now the appointed time for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they sent up for them a great amount of smoke from the city.

39 And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to inflict casualties on about thirty men of Israel because they thought, "They will be completely defeated before us as in the first battle."

40 And the cloud of smoke began to go up from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned backward, and behold, the whole city was going up {in smoke}!

41 And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed because they saw that disaster was {closing in} on them.

42 And they retreated from before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle caught up to them, and [those] who [came] from the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "to heaven"