Back to Exodus 40

Exodus 40:36-38

When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys; but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Exodus 40:36-38 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys; but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys;

    but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up.

    For the cloud of Yahweh was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

  • KJV King James Version

    And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

    But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

    For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys.

    But if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

    For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. —

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Cross-references (17)

  • Psalms 78:14 (vv36, 38) In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.
  • Numbers 9:15 (v38) On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony. At evening it was over the…
  • Exodus 13:21 (v38) Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that…
  • Nehemiah 9:19 (v36) yet you in your manifold mercies didn’t forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud didn’t depart from over them by day, to lead…
  • Isaiah 4:5-6 (v38) Yahweh will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming…
Show all 15 cross-references
  • Psalms 105:39 (vv36, 38) He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night.
  • Numbers 9:19-22 (v37) When the cloud stayed on the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept Yahweh’s command, and didn’t travel. Sometimes the…
  • Numbers 9:17 (v36) Whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel traveled; and in the place where the cloud…
  • Exodus 13:21-22 (v36) Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that…
  • Numbers 10:11-13 (v36) In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the…
  • Numbers 10:33-36 (v36) They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek…
  • Numbers 19:17-22 (v36) “For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured on them in a vessel. A…
  • Psalms 31:15 (v37) My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:1 (v36) Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
  • 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (v36) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the…

15 distinct cross-references across this passage (17 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (10 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v38 Thus the presence of God preserved and guided them…

Thus the presence of God preserved and guided them night and day, till they came to the land promised.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v36 Exo 40:36 And when the cloud was taken up…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v38 The same pillar which in the day-time was like…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv36, 38 Verse 36. When the cloud was taken up] The…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v36 A fire. The same cloud overshadowed the camp by…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv36, 38 when the cloud was taken up from over the…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv36, 38 36. went onward] lit. plucked up (tent-pegs), i.e. broke…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v36 (36-38) The cloud was henceforth, in a peculiar way,…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv36, 38 Vers. 36-38. And wheni.e. "whensoever." The last three verses…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v36 was taken up from over
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