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Friday, August 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Douay-Rheims Bible

Judges 20:38

Now the children of Israel had given a sign to them, whom they had laid in ambushes, that after they had taken the city, they should make a fire: that by the smoke rising on high, they might shew that the city was taken.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambush;   Armies;   Strategy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;   Cities;   Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Meadow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gibeah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Flame;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Battle system of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The men of Israel had a prearranged signal with the men in ambush: when they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
Hebrew Names Version
Now the appointed sign between the men of Yisra'el and the liers-in-wait was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
Now the appointed time for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they sent up for them a great amount of smoke from the city.
English Standard Version
Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city
New Century Version
Now the Israelites had set up a signal with the men in hiding. The men in the surprise attack were to send up a cloud of smoke from the city.
New English Translation
The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush sent up a smoke signal from the city,
Amplified Bible
Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.
New American Standard Bible
Now the agreed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also the men of Israel had appoynted a certaine time with the ambushmentes, that they should make a great flame and smoke rise vp out of the citie.
Legacy Standard Bible
En die manne van Israel het 'n afspraak met die hinderlaag gehad dat hulle 'n groot rookwolk uit die stad moet laat optrek.
Complete Jewish Bible
The army of Isra'el and the ambushers had agreed that as a signal they would make a huge cloud of smoke rise from the city,
Darby Translation
Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambush, that they should make a thick column of smoke rise up out of the city.
Easy-to-Read Version
Now the men of Israel had made a plan with the men who were hiding. The men who were hiding were supposed to send a special signal. They were supposed to make a big cloud of smoke.
George Lamsa Translation
Now there was an appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush, which was that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
Good News Translation
The main Israelite army and the men in hiding had arranged a signal. When they saw a big cloud of smoke going up from the town,
Literal Translation
And there was a sign set to the men of Israel with the ambush, to make it great, their causing a rising of smoke to go up from the city.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They were appoynted betwene them selues the men of Israel and the hynder watch, to fall vpon them with the swerde, whan the smoke of the cite arose.
American Standard Version
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
Bible in Basic English
Now the sign fixed between the men of Israel and those making the surprise attack was that when they made a pillar of smoke go up from the town,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And an appoyntment had the men of Israel from the lyers in wayt, that they should make a great flambe [and] smoke ryse vp out of the citie.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait, that they should make a great beacon of smoke rise up out of the city.--
King James Version (1611)
Nowe there was an appointed signe between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise vp out of the citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the children of Israel had a signal of battle with the liers in wait, that they should send up a signal of smoke from the city.
English Revised Version
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
Berean Standard Bible
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,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the sones of Israel hadden youe a signe to hem whiche thei hadden set in buyschementis, that aftir that thei hadden take the citee, thei schulden kyndle fier, and that bi smook stiynge an hiy, thei schulden schewe the citee takun.
Young's Literal Translation
And there was the appointed sign to the men of Israel with the ambush -- their causing to go up a great volume of smoke from the city.
Update Bible Version
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushers was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 to rise from the city.
World English Bible
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers-in-wait was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city.
New King James Version
Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,
New Living Translation
They had arranged to send up a large cloud of smoke from the town as a signal.
New Life Bible
The men of Israel had agreed that the men who had been hiding should make a big cloud of smoke rise from the city. It would be something special for them to see.
New Revised Standard
Now the agreement between the main body of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they sent up a cloud of smoke out of the city
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, the appointed sign, between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, had been, - to cause a great cloud of smoke to ascend out of the city.
Revised Standard Version
Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city.

Contextual Overview

26 Wherefore all the children of Israel came to the house of God, and sat and wept before the Lord: and they fasted that day till the evening, and offered to him holocausts, and victims of peace offerings, 27 And inquired of him concerning their state. At that time the ark of the covenant of the Lord was there, 28 And Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was over the house. So they consulted the Lord, and said: Shall we go out any more to fight against the children of Benjamin, our brethren, or shall we cease? And the Lord said to them: Go up, for to morrow I will deliver them into your hands. 29 And the children of Israel set ambushes round about the city of Gabaa: 30 And they drew up their army against Benjamin the third time, as they had done the first and second. 31 And the children of Benjamin boldly issued out of the city, and seeing their enemies flee, pursued them a long way, so as to wound and kill some of them, as they had done the first and second day, whilst they fled by two highways, whereof one goeth up to Bethel and the other to Gabaa, and they slew about thirty men: 32 For they thought to cut them off as they did before. But they artfully feigning a flight, designed to draw them away from the city, and by their seeming to flee, to bring them to the highways aforesaid. 33 Then all the children of Israel rising up out of the places where they were, set their army in battle array, in the place which is called Baalthamar. The ambushes also, which were about the city, began by little and little to come forth, 34 And to march from the west side of the city. And other ten thousand men chosen out of all Israel, attacked the inhabitants of the city. And the battle grew hot against the children of Benjamin: and they understood not that present death threatened them on every side. 35 And the Lord defeated them before the children of Israel, and they slew of them in that day five and twenty thousand, and one hundred, all fighting men, and that drew the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Now there: From this verse to the end of the chapter, we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way, in the preceding verses of this chapter.

sign: or, time, Genesis 17:21, 2 Kings 4:16, *marg.

and: Heb. with

flame: Heb. elevation

Reciprocal: Joel 2:30 - pillars

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait,.... Or an appointed time z as the Targum; so Kimchi and Abarbinel. There was a time fixed, at which the men of Israel proposed to be at Baaltamar, exactly when the Benjaminites would be drawn at a proper distance from the city, and then the liers in wait were to break forth, and rush upon it, and enter it:

and that they should make a great flame with smoke to rise up out of the city; set it on fire, and cause the fire to burn fiercely, that there might be a large ascent of flame and smoke to be seen afar off; which, when the men of Israel saw, they would know the city was taken.

z המועד "tempus constitutum", Panginus, Montanus, Junius et Tremellius, Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 20:38. Now there was an appointed sign — From this verse to the end of the chapter we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way, in the preceding part of the chapter.


 
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