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
This occurs during a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other eleven tribes of Israel over a horrific crime in Gibeah. The other tribes used a military strategy where part of their army hid and set fire to the Benjamite cities while the main battle drew the Benjamite forces away. This was the climactic moment when Benjamin realized they had been outmaneuvered and their homeland was being destroyed.
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