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Judges 20:40

38 The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,

39 the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

But 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.

41 Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.

42 So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there.

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
But 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.
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.
WEB
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 city went up in smoke to the sky.
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.
DARBY
And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended [in smoke] to the heavens.
BLB
And the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin looked behind them, and there was going up all the city to the heavens.
ÅB
Og da røyken begynte å stige opp fra byen som en svær støtte, hadde Benjamin vendt seg om og sett at hele byen sto i flammer som slo opp mot himmelen.
OTB
Men da røyksøylen begynte å stige fra byen, snudde benjaminittene seg og så hele byen gå opp i røyk.
B1930
Og da røken begynte å stige op fra byen som en svær støtte, hadde Benjamin vendt sig om og sett at hele byen stod i én lue som slo op mot himmelen.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Joshua 8:20

    When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.

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  • Joel 2:30

    I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

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  • Revelation 19:3

    And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”

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  • Genesis 19:28

    He 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.

    Read in context

  • Song of Solomon 3:6

    Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?

    Read in context