Exodus 13:21–22
A pillar of cloud by day and fire by night goes with Israel in the desert
Study it word by word21YHWH 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 light to them, so that they could travel by day and by night.
22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
In its context
19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had solemnly made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “Elohim will surely attend to you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”
20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
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Its words in the original
- יהוָהyhva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- הֹלֵךְholech· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- פְנֵיfene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- יוֹמָםyomam· by day
By day, in the daytime.
- עַמּוּדamud· pillar, column
Pillar, column; also a pillar of cloud or of fire.
- עָנָןanan· cloud
Cloud.
- נְחֹתָnechota· lead, guide
Lead, guide along the way; bring someone to a place.
- דֶּרֶךְderech· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- לַיְלָהlayla· night
Night.
- אֵשׁesh· fire
Fire. In the Bible it often goes with the presence of God (the bush, Sinai).
- הָאִירhair· give light, shine
Give light, shine; light up.
- לֶכֶתlechet· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- יָמִישׁyamish· depart, remove
Depart, withdraw; also remove, take away.
- עָםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.