Exodus 13 · Verse 21

Exodus 13:21

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:
Exodus 13:21, King James Version

Exodus 13:21 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.
WEBThe LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night:
ASVAnd Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might go by day and by night:
YLTand Jehovah is going before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light to them, to go by day and by night;
DARBYAnd Jehovah went before their face by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; so that they could go day and night.
BBEAnd the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, guiding them on their way; and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light: so that they were able to go on day and night:
WebsterAnd the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light: to go by day and night.

What does Exodus 13:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 13:21-22
21-22. 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 The Lord went before them - That by the Lord here is meant the Lord Jesus, we have the authority of St. Paul to believe, 1Cor 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 the continual proof of the presence and protection of God. It was necessary that they should have a guide to direct them through the wilderness, even had they taken the most direct road; and how much more so when they took a circuitous route not usually traveled, and of which they knew nothing but just as the luminous pillar pointed out the way! Besides, it is very likely that even Moses himself did not know the route which God had determined on, nor the places of encampment, till the pillar that went before them became stationary, and thus pointed out, not only the road, but the different places of rest. Whether there was more than one pillar is not clearly determined by the text. If there was but one it certainly assumed three different appearances, for the performance of Three very important offices. 1. In the day-time, for the purpose of pointing out the way, a column or pillar of a cloud was all that was requisite. 2. At night, to prevent that confusion which must otherwise have taken place, the pillar of cloud became a pillar of fire, not to direct their journeyings, for they seldom traveled by night, but to give light to every part of the Israelitish camp. 3. In such a scorching, barren, thirsty desert, something farther was necessary than a light and a guide. Women, children, and comparatively infirm persons, exposed to the rays of such a burning sun, must have been destroyed if without a covering; hence we find that a cloud overshadowed them: and from what St. Paul observes, 1Cor 10:1, 1Cor 10:2, we are led to conclude that this covering cloud was composed of aqueous particles for the cooling of the atmosphere and refreshment of themselves and their cattle; for he represents the whole camp as being sprinkled or immersed in the humidity of its vapours, and expressly calls it a being under the cloud and being baptized in the cloud. To the circumstance of the cloud covering them, there are several references in Scripture. Thus: He spread a Cloud for their Covering; Psa 105:39. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, A Cloud and Smoke By Day, and the shining of a Flaming Fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a Defence, (or Covering), Isa 4:5; which words contain the most manifest allusion to the threefold office of the cloud in the wilderness. See Num 9:16-18, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 13:21-22
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 of God the guide of their affections, and the providence of God the guide of their affairs, may be sure that the Lord goes before them, though they cannot see it with their eyes: we must now live by faith. When Israel marched, this pillar went before, and pointed out the place of encampment, as Divine Wisdom saw fit. It sheltered by day from the heat, and gave light by night. The Bible is a light to our feet, a lantern to our paths, with which the Saviour's love has provided us. It testifies of Christ. It is to us like the pillar to the Israelites. Listen to that voice which cries, I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life, Joh 8:12. Jesus Christ alone, as shown in the Bible, and as the Holy Spirit, in answer to prayer, recommends him to the soul, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Joh 14:6.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 13:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיהוָ֡הva.Yah.wehand YahwehH3068
הֹלֵךְ֩ho.leKh[was] goingH1980
לִפְנֵיהֶ֨םlif.nei.Hem<to> before themH6440
יוֹמָ֜םyo.Mamby dayH3119
בְּעַמּ֤וּדbe.'a.Mudin a pillar ofH5982
עָנָן֙'a.NancloudH6051
לַנְחֹתָ֣םlan.cho.Tamto guide themH5148
הַדֶּ֔רֶךְha.De.rekhthe journeyH1870
וְלַ֛יְלָהve.Lay.lahand nightH3915
בְּעַמּ֥וּדbe.'a.Mudin a pillar ofH5982
אֵ֖שׁ'eshfireH784
לְהָאִ֣ירle.ha.'Irto give lightH215
לָהֶ֑םla.Hemto them
לָלֶ֖כֶתla.Le.khetto goH1980
יוֹמָ֥םyo.Mamby dayH3119
וָלָֽיְלָה\׃va.La.ye.lahand nightH3915

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 13:21

  • 1 Corinthians 10:1-2

    Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

  • Nehemiah 9:12

    Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

  • Deuteronomy 1:33

    Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

  • Psalms 99:7

    He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

  • Nehemiah 9:19

    Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

  • Psalms 105:39

    He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

  • Numbers 14:14

    And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

  • Exodus 33:9-10

    And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

  • Psalms 78:14

    In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

  • Numbers 9:15-23

    And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. …

  • Numbers 10:34

    And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.

  • Exodus 40:34-38

    Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
14:19-24; 40:34-38; Nu 9:15-23; 10:34; 14:14; De 1:33; Ne 9:12,19
Ps 78:14; 99:7; 105:39; Isa 4:5,6; 1Co 10:1,2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 13:20

    And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

  • Exodus 13:21

    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:

  • Exodus 13:22

    He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Read all of Exodus 13

Exodus 13:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová iba delante de ellos de día en una columna de nube, para guiarlos por el camino; y de noche en una columna de fuego para alumbrarles; á fin de que anduviesen de día y de noche.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel allait devant eux, de jour dans une colonne de nuée pour les conduire par le chemin, et de nuit dans une colonne de feu pour les éclairer, afin qu’ils marchent jour et nuit:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova zog vor ihnen her, des Tages in einer Wolkensäule, um sie auf dem Wege zu leiten, und des Nachts in einer Feuersäule, um ihnen zu leuchten, damit sie Tag und Nacht ziehen könnten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dominus autem præcedebat eos ad ostendendam viam per diem in columna nubis, et per noctem in columna ignis: ut dux esset itineris utroque tempore.