Judges 20:38-40

Expanded Bible

³⁸ Now the Israelites had set up a signal with the men in hiding. The men in the ·surprise attack [ambush] were to send up a cloud of smoke from the city. ³⁹ Then the army of Israel ·turned around in the battle [counterattacked; ^Ca similar strategy was used against Ai; Josh. 8].

The Benjaminites had killed about thirty Israelites. They were saying, “·We are winning [They are defeated], as in the first battle!” ⁴⁰ But then a cloud of smoke began to rise from the city. The Benjaminites turned around and ·saw that [^Llook; ^Tbehold] the whole city was going up ·in smoke [^Linto the sky/heavens].