Judges 20 40

Judges 20:40 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.

Judges 20:40 nkjv

But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven.

Judges 20:40 niv

But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

Judges 20:40 esv

But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

Judges 20:40 nlt

But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town,

Judges 20 verses

Judges 20 40 Meaning

Judges 20:40 vividly portrays the utter defeat of the tribe of Benjamin by the other Israelite tribes. It describes a "pillar of smoke" rising from Benjamin's cities, serving as an undeniable visual signal to the fleeing Benjaminites that their home territory and final strongholds had been completely destroyed by fire. This scene marks the climax of Benjamin's military downfall in the civil war, signifying their hope was extinguished, their cause lost, and their people nearly annihilated as a consequence of their egregious sin and unyielding defiance.

Judges 20 40 Context

Judges chapter 20 describes a brutal civil war among the Israelite tribes. The conflict erupted due to the heinous crime committed by Benjaminites of Gibeah – the gang rape and murder of the Levite's concubine (Judges 19). When the other tribes of Israel called for justice against the perpetrators, the tribe of Benjamin refused to hand them over and instead defended the wicked men, showing severe moral depravity and stubborn pride. This defiance led to an assembly of 400,000 Israelites uniting against Benjamin.

Despite overwhelming numbers, the initial two days of battle resulted in heavy losses for the combined Israelite forces, serving as a humbling divine lesson. On the third day, after humbling themselves before the LORD and offering sacrifices, the Israelites adopted a strategic ambush. Judges 20:40 captures the dramatic moment when this strategy came to fruition. Benjamin had been lured out of their fortified cities, and Israelite forces were then able to set Benjaminite towns ablaze. The "pillar of smoke" rising from these cities, particularly Gibeah, was the prearranged signal of complete victory for Israel and utter desolation for Benjamin, a clear sign to the fleeing Benjaminites that their home base was now irrecoverably lost.

Judges 20 40 Word analysis

• the pillar: (Hebrew: ʻammûd - עמוד). A column or stand, something upright. The term often describes structures of prominence or stability. Crucially, it recalls the "pillar of cloud" and "pillar of fire" (Exod 13:21) that guided Israel, representing God's presence. Here, a "pillar of smoke" ironically represents God's judgment and the devastating presence of His wrath. Its vertical rise emphasizes visibility and prominence, making it an inescapable sign.

• of smoke: (Hebrew: he-ʻāshān - העשן). The byproduct of combustion, typically indicating fire and destruction. Smoke in biblical imagery can signify God's wrath (Psa 18:8), His consuming judgment (Isa 6:4), or a covenantal presence (Exo 19:18). Here, it distinctly marks overwhelming devastation. The lingering nature of smoke visually prolonged the experience of defeat.

• began: (Hebrew: ḥālal - חלל, Qal participle 'beginning'). Indicates the initiation of an action. The verb suggests that the rising of the smoke was not instantaneous but a process that started and continued, giving the Benjaminites a terrifying realization of ongoing, escalating destruction.

• to rise: (Hebrew: laʻalōth - לעלות). To ascend, go up. Reinforces the visual spectacle of the smoke reaching heavenward, perhaps implying the cry of the destroyed cities ascended before God, much like the cry of Abel's blood (Gen 4:10).

• up from: Indicates the origin of the smoke from a lower point to an upper one, specifying its source from the burnt ground.

• the cities: Refers collectively to Benjamin's fortified towns, especially Gibeah, the epicenter of the sin. The plural emphasizes the widespread nature of the destruction. This was not merely a military defeat in the field but the complete undoing of their infrastructure and homeland.

• And Benjamin: The name of the tribe, denoting the specific recipients of this dreadful sight. They had been stubborn, prideful, and unrepentant, leading them to this point of ruin.

• looked: The act of seeing, but often implying careful observation or perception. It signifies Benjamin's forced acknowledgment of the catastrophe. They could no longer ignore the consequences.

• behind them: While in flight, they cast their gaze backward, implying a desperate check on their defenses or a longing look at what they were leaving behind. This look confirms their flight from their homeland, not toward it.

• and behold: (Hebrew: wĕhinēh - והנה). An interjection emphasizing immediate, sudden attention, and dramatic impact. It signals a shocking realization or unexpected development. The sight was perhaps more horrifying than they had anticipated.

• the whole city: An emphatic declaration of complete devastation. It means total loss; no part was spared, indicating the utter destruction meted out.

• was going up in smoke: A continuous action, reinforcing the ongoing nature of the burning.

• to heaven: Denotes the immense volume and height of the smoke, indicating a complete and comprehensive destruction of the earthly city that ascended even to the heavens. It symbolically carries the severity of Benjamin’s sin before God, whose judgment consumed their habitations.

• "the pillar of smoke... up from the cities": This phrase functions as a horrifying victory banner for the Israelites and a grim death knell for the Benjaminites. It's a pre-arranged military signal, executed after Benjamin had been drawn away from their urban centers, signifying the successful capture and burning of their key population centers. The specific visual of a "pillar" ties this judgment directly to divine judgment often associated with "pillars" (of fire/cloud, Sinai).

• "And Benjamin looked behind them, and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke to heaven": This grouping highlights the climactic moment of realization and despair for the fleeing Benjaminites. The emphasis is on their perspective—the shock of seeing the irreversible, complete destruction of their homes. "To heaven" emphasizes the scale of the conflagration, implying divine endorsement of this complete desolation as a just recompense for their heinous crimes and stubborn resistance. It leaves no room for doubt about the extent of their loss and the finality of their defeat.

Judges 20 40 Bonus section

The profound judgment enacted against Benjamin in Judges 20 serves as a powerful historical precedent for understanding the concept of national judgment within Israelite history. The overwhelming nature of their defeat – near annihilation – underscored the gravity of their sin (supporting vile actions) and their subsequent defiance against divine justice championed by their brethren. The specific phrase "going up in smoke to heaven" could also be seen as an echo of a burnt offering or a holocaust (though not ritually intended as such here), suggesting that Benjamin's cities, by virtue of their wickedness, were consumed in an act of cleansing judgment, making a desolate sacrifice for their collective transgressions. This foreshadows later prophets who would speak of Jerusalem and other cities similarly being consumed by fire due to their sin, emphasizing God's intolerance for corruption within His covenant people.

Judges 20 40 Commentary

Judges 20:40 marks a pivotal and devastating turning point for the tribe of Benjamin. The imagery of a "pillar of smoke" ascending from their cities is profoundly symbolic. Unlike the guiding pillar of cloud/fire that signified God's presence with His people, this pillar of smoke signifies divine judgment upon a people who had severely departed from God's moral law. This was not mere collateral damage but a planned, definitive act demonstrating the complete victory of the Israelite confederacy and, by extension, God's righteous wrath against sin. The Benjaminites, who initially clung to their sin and defied justice, are forced to witness the total desolation of their homeland. Their "looking behind them" captures a moment of stark, terrifying realization. The ascent of "the whole city" in smoke "to heaven" signifies that the destruction was total and unequivocal, bearing the imprimatur of divine justice. It served as a stark reminder that prolonged sin and rebellion against righteousness, especially within God's own covenant people, bring forth grievous and absolute consequences. It underlines the theme in Judges that when Israel forgets the Lord and their covenant obligations, their land, their unity, and their well-being crumble under the weight of sin. This serves as a cautionary tale on the horrors of civil strife fueled by moral depravity and unrepentant rebellion against God’s standards.