Exodus 13:21

God's presence Guidance and decisions Protection and safety Comfort

¹⁹ And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

²⁰ And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

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:

²² He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And 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.
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:
WEB: The 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:
ASV: And 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:
DARBY: And 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.
BLB: And YHWH went before their faces by day in a pillar of 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.

ÅB: Og Herren gikk foran dem, om dagen i en skystøtte for å lede dem på veien og om natten i en ildstøtte for å lyse for dem, så de kunne dra fram både dag og natt.
OTB: Om dagen gikk Herren foran dem i en skystøtte for å lede dem, og om natten i en ildstøtte for å gi lys, slik at de kunne reise både dag og natt.
B1930: Og Herren gikk foran dem, om dagen i en skystøtte for å lede dem på veien og om natten i en ildstøtte for å lyse for dem, så de kunde dra frem både dag og natt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

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;
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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.
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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.
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Psalms 99:7
He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
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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.
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Psalms 105:39
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
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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.
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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.
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