Judges 20:39

39 Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!"

Judges 20:39 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:39

And when the men of Israel retired in the battle
Which is before expressed by their fleeing, and giving place to the Benjaminites, and was only an artifice of theirs, to draw them off from the city:

Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty
persons;
which was done in the highways leading to Shiloh and Gibeah in the field, ( Judges 20:31 )

for they said, surely they are smitten down before us as in the first
battle;
when the greater number of the Israelites were slain by them.

Judges 20:39 In-Context

37 The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city.

38 The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city.

39 Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!"

40 But then the signal went up from the city - a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke.

41 By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart - they could see that they were trapped.