Tree of Life Version
Exodus 13:21
21Adonai went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead the way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. So they could travel both day and night.
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 also took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made Bnei-Yisrael swear an oath saying, “God will surely remember you, and then you are to carry my bones away with you.” 20So they journeyed from Succoth and encamped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. Adonai went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead the way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. So they could travel both day and night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never departed from the people.
Read all of Exodus 13Exodus 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 went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. Also the pillar of cloud moved from in front and stood behind them,
- Exodus 40:34Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Adonai filled the Tabernacle.
- Numbers 9:15On the day the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. By evening until morning, the cloud above the Tent of Testimony had an appearance like fire.
- Numbers 10:34The cloud of Adonai was over them by day when they advanced from the camp.
- Numbers 14:14They will tell the residents of this land about it. Already they have heard that You, Adonai, are in the midst of this people, that You, Adonai, have been seen eye to eye, that Your cloud remains over them, and that in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night You go before them.
- Deuteronomy 1:33the One who goes before you on the way to scout out a place for you to camp and to show you the way you should go, in fire by night and in the cloud by day.
- Nehemiah 9:12You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illuminate for them the way they were to go.
- Psalms 78:14By day He led them with a cloud and all night with a light of fire.
- Psalms 99:7He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud. They kept His testimonies, and the decree that He gave them.
- Psalms 105:39He spread a cloud as a covering and fire to give light at night.
- Isaiah 4:5then Adonai will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her convocations, a cloud by day, and smoke and shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all, glory will be a canopy.
- 1 Corinthians 10:1For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and 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
In the dictionaries
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
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