Exodus 13:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

NIV: Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

NASB: He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.

CSB: The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

NLT: And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

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

NKJV: He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

Israel is free from slavery (Exodus 12:40–41). But they need to travel along a specific path (Exodus 13:17–18). God's guiding method is dramatic. The literal words used here could be taken to mean there were two separate columns: a single daytime pillar of clouds and a single nighttime pillar of fire. However, this phrasing seems poetic, as other verses strongly suggest this was a single, never-changing combination of clouds and fire (Exodus 14:19–20, 24; 40:38). The Hebrew word for "fire" here is ēs', which can mean the flames of a burning fire. At times, however, it can be used to describe lightning (Exodus 9:23). Some artists imagine these as something like a tornado, but Scripture does not use such words and gives no details. Either way, this guiding pillar is easy to see during the day and the night.

The divine pillar is constant. It does not come and go, rather it is always leading Israel. Next, God guides the people to the seashore (Exodus 14:1–2), and the Egyptians pursue (Exodus 14:3–14). The pillar will move around for protection (Exodus 14:19–20) while Israel crosses the parted sea (Exodus 14:21–22). This constant and protective presence is a clear and obvious sign of the Lord's involvement in Israel's rescue (Numbers 14:14).

Exodus 13:17–22 depicts Israel's initial travel out of Egypt. Moses personally carries the bones of Joseph (Genesis 50:25). God's chosen path avoids Philistine territory so the people won't be tempted to backtrack into Egypt. He leads the people using a column of clouds which also contains flames or lightning. This allows the nation to keep moving, day and night. This hasty movement is important. Egyptian soldiers will not catch up to Israel until they are at the shores of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5–9). There, the Lord will perform another miraculous act of rescue (Exodus 14:26–30).

God reiterates the requirements of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Israel is to celebrate this every year as a way of remembering their liberation from Egyptian slavery. In addition, the people are to consecrate all of the first-born of any mother—both people and animals. Animals that cannot be sacrificed are to be redeemed. Sons are to be redeemed by an animal sacrifice. The Lord creates a column of clouds for the people to follow during the day, which is lit by fire so they can also follow it at night. This keeps them moving quickly. Soon, Egyptian soldiers will catch up to them and God will once again provide miraculous rescue (Exodus 14).

The Lord has just freed Israel from centuries of Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12). The final blow to Egypt was the death of all firstborn (Exodus 12:29–32) on the night of the first Passover (Exodus 12:12–13). God's guidelines for that night are partly repeated here along with directions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He instructs the nation about consecrating their own firstborn as He guides them. A column of fiery clouds helps the people travel day and night. This haste is important because Egypt's king is about to change his mind. He will soon send the Egyptian military to chase down the Israelites (Exodus 14).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.