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.
But when the fire started rising up from the city with a column of smoke, the men of Benjamin looked back and saw the flames from their city rising up to the sky.
The writer is describing the moment when the Benjamites realized their city was being destroyed by fire behind them.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, this verse is set during a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other Israelite tribes, stemming from the tribe's refusal to hand over the guilty parties involved in a horrific crime in the city of Gibeah. This conflict arose after the rape and murder of a Levite's concubine, which outraged the rest of Israel and led to demands for justice. As part of their strategy in battle, the Israelites lured the Benjamites away and set the city ablaze, with the rising smoke signaling their trap's success.
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