Judges 20:40
But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjaminites turned back and saw the entire city going up in smoke toward the sky.
Additional Resources
Other Translations
King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)
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.
KJV1611 – Modern English
But when the flame began to rise 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.
King James Version 1611 (Original)
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.
American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers
But when the cloud{H4864} began{H2490} to arise up{H5927} out of the city{H5892} in a pillar{H5982} of smoke,{H6227} the Benjamites{H1145} looked{H6437} behind{H310} them; and, behold, the whole of the city{H5892} went up{H5927} [in smoke]{H3632} to heaven.{H8064}
King James Version with Strong's Numbers
But when the flame{H4864} began{H2490}{(H8689)} to arise up{H5927}{(H8800)} out of the city{H5892} with a pillar{H5982} of smoke{H6227}, the Benjamites{H1145} looked{H6437}{(H8799)} behind{H310} them, and, behold, the flame{H3632} of the city{H5892} ascended up{H5927}{(H8804)} to heaven{H8064}.
Coverdale Bible (1535)
then beganne there a piler of smoke to arise vp from the cite. And BenIamin loked behinde them: and beholde, the flamme of ye cite wente vp vnto heauen.
Geneva Bible (1560)
But when the flame bega to arise out of the citie, as a pillar of smoke, the Beniamites looked backe, and behold, the flame of the citie began to ascend vp to heauen.
Bishops' Bible (1568)
But when there began to aryse out of the citie a flambe as a piller of smoke, the Beniamites loked backe, & behold the flambe of the whole citie began to ascende vp to heauen.
Authorized King James Version (1611)
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.
Webster's Bible (1833)
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 the sky.
Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)
and the volume hath begun to go up from the city -- a pillar of smoke -- and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward the heavens.
American Standard Version (1901)
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.
American Standard Version (1901)
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.
Bible in Basic English (1941)
Then the sign went up out of the town in the pillar of smoke, and the Benjamites, turning back, saw all the town going up in smoke to heaven.
World English Bible (2000)
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 the sky.
NET Bible® (New English Translation)
But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.
Referenced Verses
- Josh 8:20 : 20 When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, and they had no power to flee in any direction. The Israelites who had fled toward the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.
- Song 3:6 : 6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
- Joel 2:30 : 30 I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
- Rev 19:3 : 3 And again they said, 'Hallelujah! The smoke from her rises forever and ever.'
- Gen 19:28 : 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the entire plain, and he saw that smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Judg 20:30-3910 verses84%
30 On the third day, the Israelites went up against the Benjaminites and took up their positions against Gibeah, as they had done before.
31 The Benjaminites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as they had done before—about thirty men—in the open country, on the roads leading to Bethel and Gibeah.
32 The Benjaminites thought, "We are defeating them as before." But the Israelites said, "Let us retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads."
33 All the men of Israel rose up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelite ambush broke out of its place west of Gibeah.
34 Ten thousand of Israel's finest men advanced against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was closing in on them.
35 The LORD struck down Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites killed twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjaminites that day, all armed with swords.
36 Then the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. The Israelites had given ground to the Benjaminites because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah.
37 The men in ambush hurried and rushed upon Gibeah. They spread out and struck the entire city with the sword.
38 The appointed signal between the men of Israel and the ambush was to send up a great column of smoke from the city.
39 When the Israelites turned in the battle, the Benjaminites had begun killing about thirty Israelites and thought, 'We are defeating them as in the first battle.'
- Judg 20:41-488 verses81%
41 Then the Israelites turned on them, and the Benjaminites were terrified because they saw that disaster had overtaken them.
42 They fled before the Israelites toward the wilderness, but they were overtaken, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them.
43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, pursued them, and overran them until they were opposite Gibeah on the east side.
44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all valiant warriors.
45 The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but the Israelites killed five thousand of them along the roads. They pursued them as far as Gidom and struck down another two thousand.
46 That day, twenty-five thousand sword-wielding men of Benjamin fell, all of them valiant warriors.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed for four months.
48 The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put the cities to the sword, including the people, livestock, and everything they found. They also set fire to all the cities they came upon.
- Josh 8:19-213 verses76%
19 As soon as he stretched out his hand, the ambush rose quickly from their position, ran into the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
20 When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city rising to the sky, and they had no power to flee in any direction. The Israelites who had fled toward the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.
21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city and that its smoke was rising, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
- Judg 20:9-157 verses74%
9 This is what we will do to Gibeah: We will decide by casting lots.
10 We will take ten men out of every hundred, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand across all the tribes of Israel. They will gather provisions for the army, so we can act against Gibeah in Benjamin for their disgraceful act in Israel.
11 So all the men of Israel were united together as one man against the city.
12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What is this awful crime that has been committed among you?"
13 Now hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.
14 Instead, the Benjaminites gathered from their cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the Israelites.
15 On that day, the Benjaminites mustered twenty-six thousand men armed with swords from their towns, not counting the seven hundred elite troops from Gibeah.
- Judg 20:19-213 verses73%
19 The next morning the Israelites got up and camped near Gibeah.
20 The Israelites went out to fight the Benjaminites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah.
21 The Benjaminites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.
- Judg 20:23-253 verses72%
23 The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They asked, "Shall we go up again to wage war against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."
24 Then the Israelites approached the Benjaminites on the second day.
25 On the second day, the Benjaminites came out from Gibeah to meet the Israelites and struck down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords.
- 71%
3 The people of Benjamin heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. The Israelites said, "Tell us, how did this terrible crime happen?"
- 69%
28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the entire plain, and he saw that smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
- 69%
1 Take refuge, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise a signal over Beth-Haccherem. For disaster looms from the north, a great destruction.
- 68%
14 So they passed on and continued their journey. The sun set as they came near Gibeah, which belongs to the tribe of Benjamin.
- 68%
16 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah of Benjamin saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions.
- 68%
16 In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim and was staying temporarily in Gibeah, though the people of the place were Benjaminites.
- 67%
25 The men of Benjamin rallied to Abner, formed a single group, and took their stand on the top of a hill.
- 67%
28 For fire went out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of the high places of the Arnon.
- 67%
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; sound the alarm in Beth Aven: 'Look behind you, Benjamin!'
- 67%
17 The appearance of the LORD's glory was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the sight of the Israelites.
- 67%
17 The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords, all experienced warriors.
- 67%
8 The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, captured it, struck it down with the sword, and set the city on fire.
- 67%
3 Before them, fire devours; behind them, flames blaze. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is a desolate wilderness—nothing escapes them.
- 67%
15 The people of Israel grieved for Benjamin because the LORD had created a gap in the tribes of Israel.
- 67%
30 The rest of the Arameans fled to the city of Aphek, where a wall collapsed on 27,000 of them. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.