Judges 20:39

39 Then the army of Israel turned around in the battle. The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, "We are winning, 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 men in hiding rushed into Gibeah, spread out, and killed everyone in the city with their swords.

38 Now the Israelites had set up a signal with the men in hiding. The men in the surprise attack were to send up a cloud of smoke from the city.

39 Then the army of Israel turned around in the battle. The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, "We are winning, as in the first battle!"

40 But then a cloud of smoke began to rise from the city. The Benjaminites turned around and saw that the whole city was going up in smoke.

41 Then the Israelites turned and began to fight. The Benjaminites were terrified because they knew that disaster was coming to them.