And the liers in wait hasted,.... When the time was come agreed upon for them to rise out of their ambush:
and rushed upon Gibeah; at unawares, with great force and violence entered the city, and took possession of it; or "extended" x, or spread themselves unto it; before they lay close in a narrow compass, but now they put themselves in a regular order, and marched rank and file, and reached from the meadows in which they were, Judges 20:33, to the city:
and the liers in wait drew themselves along; along the city, in every part of it, spread themselves all over it, and made themselves masters of every corner of it; or "made a long sound" y with a trumpet, protracted that to a great length, which was done to terrify the inhabitants, or to let the Israelites know they were possessed of the city:
and smote all the city with the edge of the sword; old men, women, and children, who were not able to bear arms.
x יפשטו "extenderunt se", Tigurine version. y ימשך "pertraxerunt buccinae sonitum", Paguninus; so Jarchi and Limchi.