Exodus 13:21

Exodus 13:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
• New International Version (NIV)By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

Context of Exodus 13:21

19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had solemnly ordered (placed under an oath) the Israelites, saying, “God will assuredly take care of you, and you must carry my bones away from here with you.” 20They journeyed from Succoth [in Goshen] and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The [presence of the] Lord was going before them by day in a pillar (column) of cloud to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night. 22He did not withdraw the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from going before the people.

Exodus 13:21 word by word

וַֽיהוָ֡ה הֹלֵךְ֩ לִפְנֵיהֶ֨ם יוֹמָ֜ם בְּעַמּ֤וּד עָנָן֙ לַנְחֹתָ֣ם הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְלַ֛יְלָה בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לְהָאִ֣יר לָהֶ֑ם לָלֶ֖כֶת יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• them by dayיוֹמָםyômâm · by dayH3119
• in a pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
• of a cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
• to leadנָחָהnâchâh · to leadH5148
• them the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• and by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• of fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• to give them lightאוֹר'ôr · to lightH215
• to goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for Exodus 13:21

• Exodus 14:19The angel of God, who had been going in front of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of the cloud moved from in front and stood behind them.
• Exodus 40:34Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible, dwelling presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
• Numbers 9:15Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected, the cloud [of God’s presence] covered the tabernacle, that is, the tent of the Testimony; and in the evening it was over the tabernacle, appearing like [a pillar of] fire until the morning.
• Numbers 10:34The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
• Numbers 14:14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people [of Israel], that You, Lord, are seen face to face, while Your cloud stands over them; and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
• Deuteronomy 1:33who went before you along the way, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to seek a place for you to make camp and to show you the way in which you should go.
• Nehemiah 9:12And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, And with a pillar of fire by night To light the way for them In which they were to go.
• Psalms 78:14In the daytime He led them with a cloud And all the night with a light of fire.
• Psalms 99:7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statutes that He gave them.
• Psalms 105:39The Lord spread a cloud as a covering [by day], And a fire to illumine the night.
• Isaiah 4:5then the Lord will create over the entire site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory and brilliance will be a canopy [a defense, a covering of His divine love and protection].
• 1 Corinthians 10:1For I do not want you to be unaware, believers, that our fathers were all under the cloud [in which God’s presence went before them] and they all passed [miraculously and safely] through the [Red] Sea;

Commentaries on Exodus 13:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The Lord went before them - That by the Lord here is meant the Lord Jesus, we have the authority of St. Paul to believe, 1 Corinthians 10:9; : it was he whose Spirit they tempted in the wilderness, for it was he who led them through the desert to the promised rest. Pillar of a cloud - This pillar or column, which appeared as a cloud by day, and a fire by night, was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was the Shechinah or Divine dwelling place, and was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Pillar of cloud - The Lord Himself did for the Israelites by preternatural means that which armies were obliged to do for themselves by natural agents. The Persians and Greeks used fire and smoke as signals in their marches, and in a well-known papyrus, the commander of an Egyptian expedition is called “A flame in the darkness at the head of his soldiers.” By this sign then of the pillar of cloud, the Lord showed Himself as their leader and general Exodus…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-22Verses 21-22 The Lord went before them in a pillar, or appearance of the Divine Majesty. Christ was with the church in the wilderness, 1Co 10:9. Those whom God brings into a wilderness, he will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. It was great satisfaction to Moses and the pious Israelites, to be sure that they were under Divine guidance. Those who make the glory of God their end, and the word of God their rule, the Spirit…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire stayed with the Israelites for the next 40 years.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2221-22. the Lord went before them--by a visible token of His presence, the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (Psa 78:14; Ne 9:12; 1Co 10:1), called "the angel of God" (Ex 14:19; 23:20-23; Psa 99:6, 7; Is 63:8, 9).Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 13:21

• Cloud
• Fire
• God Continued...
• Israel
• Miracles
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Day and Night
• Cloud
• Daub
• Encamp
• Frontlets
• Mouth
• Murmur
• Passover
• Pillar
• Repent

Commentaries on Exodus 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings