King James Version

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.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗תvehamasetand the burdenמַשְׂאֵתconjunction, definite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and the burden”, the ordinary formH4864properly, (abstractly) a raising (as of the hands in prayer), or rising (of flame); figuratively, an utterance; concretely, a beacon (as raised); a present (as taken), mess, or tribute; figuratively, a reproach (as a burden)burden, collection, sign of fire, (great) flame, gift, lifting up, mess, oblation, reward.הֵחֵ֛לָּהhechelahbeginחָלַלverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “begin”, a completed actionH2490properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute…לַעֲל֥וֹתlaalotto ascend upעָלָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to ascend up”, the to-form of the verbH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…מִןminfromמִןpreposition — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.הָעִ֖ירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.עַמּ֣וּדamudpillarעַמּוּדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “pillar”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5982a column (as standing); also a stand, i.e. platform[idiom] apiece, pillar.עָשָׁ֑ןashansmokeעָשָׁןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “smoke”, the ordinary formH6227smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)smoke(-ing).וַיִּ֤פֶןvayifenand appearפָּנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appear”, the next action in the storyH6437to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.appear, at (even-) tide, behold, cast out, come on, [idiom] corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-) turn (aside, away, back, face, self), [idiom] right (early).בִּנְיָמִן֙binyaminBenjaminבִּנְיָמִיןnoun, proper name — “Benjamin”H1144Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryBenjamin.אַחֲרָ֔יוacharayvafterאַחַרpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…וְהִנֵּ֛הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.עָלָ֥הalahascend upעָלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, a completed actionH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…כְלִילkhelilwhole burnt offeringכָּלִילadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “whole burnt offering”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3632complete; as noun, the whole (specifically, a sacrifice entirely consumed); as adverb, fullyall, every whit, flame, perfect(-ion), utterly, whole burnt offering (sacrifice), wholly.הָעִ֖ירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָהhashamayemahthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute, directional ending — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

But when the beacon began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

Young’s Literal Translation

and the volume hath begun to go up from the city — a pillar of smoke — and Benjamin turneth behind, and lo, gone up hath the perfection of the city toward the heavens.

World English Bible

But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the whole city went up in smoke to the sky.

Darby Translation

And when the burning began to rise up out of the city as a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind, and behold, the whole city ascended [in smoke] to the heavens.

Douay-Rheims

And perceived as it were a pillar of smoke rise up from the city; and Benjamin looking back, saw that the city was taken, and that the flames ascended on high:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

But when the beacon began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the signal went up increasingly over the city as a pillar of smoke; and Benjamin looked behind him, and behold the destruction of the city went up to heaven.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ τὸ σύσσημον ἀνέβη ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως ὡς στύλος καπνοῦ· καὶ ἐπέβλεψε Βενιαμὶν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνέβη ἡ συντέλεια τῆς πόλεως ἕως οὐρανοῦ.