Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 20:40
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.
40. looked behind them ] Cf. Jos 8:20. It almost seems as if the account of the capture of Ai by a similar stratagem had influenced the present narrative.
the whole of the city ] Cf. Deu 13:16 ‘and thou shalt burn the city with fire as a whole offering unto Jehovah thy God’; but perhaps the word is hardly intended to bear its technical sense of holocaust here.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke,…. Fire being set to it by the liers in wait, who had entered it, and who made a large fire, which caused a vast pillar of flame and smoke to arise, which might be seen a great way off:
the Benjamites looked behind them; perhaps at hearing the blowing of the trumpet, and the long sound of that:
and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven; went upwards, and reached to a great height.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(40) When the flame began to arise up.Rather, when the column (of smoke), as in Jdg. 20:38.
The flame of the city.Literally, the whole of the cityi.e., the universal conflagrationa very powerful expression. (LXX., .)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘ But when the cloud began to rise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.’
A huge pillar of smoke ascended from the city and one of their number first noticed it and yelled, and others then turned and saw it, and soon the word spread until all saw it. They knew exactly what it meant. What they were fighting for had been destroyed, and they had nowhere to go back to, only avenging forces whose number they did not know. Nothing produces more panic than uncertainty.
“The whole of the city went up in smoke.” It was like a ‘whole’ burnt offering to the God of the covenant (see Deu 13:12-16).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 20:40 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.
Ver. 40. The flame of the city. ] To be an example of that rule, that great sins bring great punishments from God, as Herodotus wisely observeth of the destruction of Troy by fire.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the city = the whole city, or holocaust of the city.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a pillar: Gen 19:28, Son 3:6, Joe 2:30, Rev 19:3
looked: Jos 8:20
flame: Heb. whole consumption
Reciprocal: 2Ki 3:24 – smote the 2Ki 6:20 – opened
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 20:40. The Benjamites looked behind them It is likely the Israelites shouted when they turned about to fall upon the Benjamites, which made them look back to see what unexpected supplies they had received. Then they saw their city on fire, which, with the sudden turning of the Israelites from flight to attack them, quite put them in confusion.