# an ambush behind them

"a surprise attack behind the army of Judah"

# the ambush was behind them

"the soldiers who were to attack them by surprise were behind them"

# When Judah looked back

Here "Judah" represents the soldiers in the army of Judah. AT: "When the soldiers of Judah looked back" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# behold

The word "behold" here shows that the soldiers were surprised by what they saw.

# the fighting was both in front of them and behind them

The word "fighting" can be translated as a verb. AT: "the army of Israel was fighting them from the front and from the back" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah

God enabling the army of Judah to defeat Jeroboam and the army of Israel is spoken of as if God struck Jeroboam and Israel. AT: "God enabled Abijah and the army of Judah to defeat Jeroboam and all Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# all Israel

Here the word "Israel" refers to the army. AT: "the entire army of Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/jeroboam]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/kingdomofjudah]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/trumpet]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/kingdomofisrael]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/abijah]]