Exodus 14:19
in Exodus 14And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them:
KJV
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
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This verse in Exodus 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe angel of God - It has been thought by some that the angel, i.e., messenger, of the Lord, and the pillar of cloud, mean here the same thing. An angel might assume the appearance of a cloud; and even a material cloud thus particularly appointed might be called an angel or messenger of the Lord, for such is the literal import of the word מלאך malach, an angel.
This site's exposition
And the angel of God, which went before the camp
on Exodus 14:19-20
The pillar that has led since 13:21 moves to the rear and becomes a barrier, and the verse names the angel of God and the cloud in the same breath. One cloud does opposite work on its two sides, darkness to the Egyptians and light to Israel, and the two camps come no nearer each other all night. Gill and other older writers read the angel of God here as the same figure who spoke from the bush at 3:2, and Exodus itself gives him no further name.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The word and providence of God have a black and dark side towards sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side towards those that are Israelites indeed.
And the Angel of God which went before the camp of Israel,....
Note, It is very common, but very absurd and criminal, for people to repent of their good deeds; their justice and charity, and even their repentance, are repented of.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on Ex 13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites (Isa 58:8). It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The angel of God - Compare the margin reference, and see Exo 3:2.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסַּ֞ע | vaiyisa' | and he set out | H5265 → | 146 times |
| מַלְאַ֣ךְ | malakh | [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הַהֹלֵךְ֙ | haholekh | who had been going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מַחֲנֵ֣ה | machaneh | [the] camp of | H4264 → | 215 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם | meachareihem | <from> behind them | H310 → | 715 times |
| וַיִּסַּ֞ע | vaiyisa' | and it set out | H5265 → | 146 times |
| עַמּ֤וּד | ʾamud | [the] pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| הֶֽעָנָן֙ | heanan | <the> cloud | H6051 → | 87 times |
| מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם | mipeneihem | from before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד | vaiyaamod | and it stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃ | meachareihem | <from> behind them | H310 → | 715 times |
וַיִּסַּ֞עand he set out
vaiyisa'H5265 →146 times
מַלְאַ֣ךְ[the] angel of
malakhH4397 →213 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הַהֹלֵךְ֙who had been going
haholekhH1980 →1546 times
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
מַחֲנֵ֣ה[the] camp of
machanehH4264 →215 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם<from> behind them
meachareihemH310 →715 times
וַיִּסַּ֞עand it set out
vaiyisa'H5265 →146 times
עַמּ֤וּד[the] pillar of
ʾamudH5982 →111 times
הֶֽעָנָן֙<the> cloud
heananH6051 →87 times
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םfrom before them
mipeneihemH6440 →2123 times
וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖דand it stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃<from> behind them
meachareihemH310 →715 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 63:9In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days…
it leads to
- Exodus 33:14
And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
- Exodus 23:20–21
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Acts 12:11
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
- Acts 7:34–35
I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
- Exodus 33:14
Through
Exodus 32:34Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”
it leads to
- Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- Exodus 23:20
Through
Numbers 20:16and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your…
it leads to
- Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 33:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.