‘ But when the cloud began to rise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.'
A huge pillar of smoke ascended from the city and one of their number first noticed it and yelled, and others then turned and saw it, and soon the word spread until all saw it. They knew exactly what it meant. What they were fighting for had been destroyed, and they had nowhere to go back to, only avenging forces whose number they did not know. Nothing produces more panic than uncertainty.
“The whole of the city went up in smoke.” It was like a ‘whole' burnt offering to the God of the covenant (see Deuteronomy 13:12-16).