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 33:3

33:3 Go up ⁴  to a land flowing with milk and honey. But ⁵  I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you ⁶  on the way.”

Exodus 33:14-15

33:14 And the Lord ⁷  said, “My presence ⁸  will go with you, ⁹  and I will give you rest.” ¹⁰ 

33:15 And Moses ¹¹  said to him, “If your presence does not go ¹²  with us, ¹³  do not take us up from here. ¹⁴ 

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 This verse seems to be a continuation of the command to “go up” since it begins with “to a land….” The intervening clauses are therefore parenthetical or relative. But the translation is made simpler by supplying the verb.

⁵ tn This is a strong adversative here, “but.”

⁶ tn The clause is “lest I consume you.” It would go with the decision not to accompany them: “I will not go up with you…lest I consume (destroy) you in the way.” The verse is saying that because of the people’s bent to rebellion, Yahweh would not remain in their midst as he had formerly said he would do. Their lives would be at risk if he did.

⁷ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ sn Heb “my face.” This represents the presence of Yahweh going with the people (see 2 Sam 17:11 for an illustration). The “presence” probably refers to the angel of the presence or some similar manifestation of God’s leading and caring for his people.

⁹ tn The phrase “with you” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

¹⁰ sn The expression certainly refers to the peace of mind and security of knowing that God was with them. But the expression came to mean “settle them in the land of promise” and give them rest and peace from their enemies. U. Cassuto (Exodus, 434) observes how in 32:10 God had told Moses, “Leave me alone” (“give me rest”), but now he promises to give them rest. The parallelism underscores the great transition through intercession.

¹¹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² tn The construction uses the active participle to stress the continual going of the presence: if there is not your face going.

¹³ tn “with us” has been supplied.

¹⁴ tn Heb “from this.”