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:
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.

Context of Exodus 13:21

19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” 20After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 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. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of 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 14:19Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,
• Exodus 40:34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
• Numbers 9:15On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.
• 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 the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
• Deuteronomy 1:33who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
• Nehemiah 9:12By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
• Psalms 78:14He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.
• Psalms 99:7He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
• Psalms 105:39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.
• Isaiah 4:5Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy.
• 1 Corinthians 10:1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the 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