Exodus 14 · Verse 19

Exodus 14:19

And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
Exodus 14:19, King James Version

Exodus 14:19 in other translations

BSBAnd the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
WEBThe angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.
ASVAnd the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them:
YLTAnd the messenger of God, who is going before the camp of Israel, journeyeth and goeth at their rear; and the pillar of the cloud journeyeth from their front, and standeth at their rear,
DARBYAnd the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before them, and stood behind them.
BBEThen the angel of God, who had been before the tents of Israel, took his place at their back; and the pillar of cloud, moving from before them, came to rest at their back:
WebsterAnd the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed, and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

What does Exodus 14:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on Ex 13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (Is 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare 2Co 2:16).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 The angel of God - It has been thought by some that the angel, i.e., messenger, of the Lord, and the pillar of cloud, mean here the same thing. An angel might assume the appearance of a cloud; and even a material cloud thus particularly appointed might be called an angel or messenger of the Lord, for such is the literal import of the word מלאך malach, an angel. It is however most probable that the Angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus, appeared on this occasion in behalf of the people; for as this deliverance was to be an illustrious type of the deliverance of man from the power and guilt of sin by his incarnation and death, it might have been deemed necessary, in the judgment of Divine wisdom, that he should appear chief agent in this most important and momentous crisis. On the word angel, and Angel of the covenant, See Clarke's note on Gen 16:7; See Clarke's note on Gen 18:13; and See Clarke's note on Exo 3:2.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 14:15-20

Moses' silent prayers of faith prevailed more with God than Israel's loud outcries of fear. The pillar of cloud and fire came behind them, where they needed a guard, and it was a wall between them and their enemies. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side toward sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side toward the people of the Lord. He, who divided between light and darkness, Ge 1:4…

Read the full comment on Exodus 14:15-20 →

Exodus 14:19 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.

וַיִּסַּ֞עvai.yi.Sa'and he set outH5265
מַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'Akh[the] angel ofH4397
הָאֱלֹהִ֗יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
הַהֹלֵךְ֙ha.ho.leKhwho had been goingH1980
לִפְנֵי֙lif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
מַחֲנֵ֣הma.cha.Neh[the] camp ofH4264
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑םme.'a.cha.rei.Hem<from> behind themH310
וַיִּסַּ֞עvai.yi.Sa'and it set outH5265
עַמּ֤וּד'a.Mud[the] pillar ofH5982
הֶֽעָנָן֙he.'a.Nan<the> cloudH6051
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םmi.pe.nei.Hemfrom before themH6440
וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖דvai.ya.'a.Modand it stoodH5975
מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם\׃me.'a.cha.rei.Hem<from> behind themH310

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

Cross references for Exodus 14:19

  • Isaiah 63:9

    In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

  • Exodus 32:34

    Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

  • Exodus 23:20-21

    Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

  • Numbers 20:16

    And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

  • Exodus 13:21-22

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

  • Exodus 14:24

    And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the angel.
24; 13:21; 23:20,21; 32:34; Nu 20:16; Isa 63:9
and the pillar.
13:21,22

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

Context

  • Exodus 14:18

    And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

  • Exodus 14:19

    And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

  • Exodus 14:20

    And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

Read all of Exodus 14

Exodus 14:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el ángel de Dios que iba delante del campo de Israel, se apartó, é iba en pos de ellos; y asimismo la columna de nube que iba delante de ellos, se apartó, y púsose á sus espaldas:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’Ange de Dieu, qui allait devant le camp d’Israël, partit, et s’en alla derrière eux; et la colonne de nuée partit de devant eux et se tint derrière eux;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Engel Gottes, der vor dem Heere Israels herzog, brach auf und trat hinter sie; und die Wolkensäule brach auf von vorn und stellte sich hinter sie.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tollensque se angelus Dei, qui præcedebat castra Israël, abiit post eos: et cum eo pariter columna nubis, priora dimittens, post tergum