Exodus 33:9-10

33:9 And ¹  whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord ²  would speak with Moses. ³  33:10 When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship. ⁴ 

Exodus 40:38

40:38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be ⁵  on it at night, in plain view ⁶  of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Psalms 99:7

99:7 He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud; ⁷ 

they obeyed his regulations and the ordinance he gave them.

¹ tn Heb “and it was when.”

² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Both verbs, “stand” and “speak,” are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutive.

⁴ tn All the main verbs in this verse are perfect tenses continuing the customary sequence (see GKC 337 §112.kk). The idea is that the people would get up (rise) when the cloud was there and then worship, meaning in part bow down. When the cloud was not there, there was access to seek God.

⁵ tn Here is another imperfect tense of the customary nuance.

⁶ tn Heb “to the eyes of all”; KJV, ASV, NASB “in the sight of all”; NRSV “before the eyes of all.”

⁷ sn A pillar of cloud. The psalmist refers to the reality described in Exod 33:9-10; Num 12:5; and Deut 31:15.