Exodus 13:21

13:21 Now the Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, ¹  so that they could ²  travel day or night. ³ 

Exodus 40:38

40:38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be ⁴  on it at night, in plain view ⁵  of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

¹ sn God chose to guide the people with a pillar of cloud in the day and one of fire at night, or, as a pillar of cloud and fire, since they represented his presence. God had already appeared to Moses in the fire of the bush, and so here again is revelation with fire. Whatever the exact nature of these things, they formed direct, visible revelations from God, who was guiding the people in a clear and unambiguous way. Both clouds and fire would again and again represent the presence of God in his power and majesty, guiding and protecting his people, by judging their enemies.

² tn The infinitive construct here indicates the result of these manifestations – “so that they went” or “could go.”

³ tn These are adverbial accusatives of time.

⁴ tn Here is another imperfect tense of the customary nuance.

⁵ tn Heb “to the eyes of all”; KJV, ASV, NASB “in the sight of all”; NRSV “before the eyes of all.”