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Judges 20:40

38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

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.

41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.

42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

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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

    And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

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  • Joel 2:30

    And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

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  • Revelation 19:3

    And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

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  • Genesis 19:28

    And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

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  • Song of Solomon 3:6

    Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

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