Exodus 33:9
in Exodus 33As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent: and Jehovah spake with Moses.
KJV
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
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This verse in Exodus 33
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe cloudy pillar descended - This very circumstance precluded the possibility of deception. The cloud descending at these times, and at none others, was a full proof that it was miraculous, and a pledge of the Divine presence. It was beyond the power of human art to counterfeit such an appearance; and let it be observed that all the people saw this, Exo 33:10. How many indubitable and irrefragable proofs of its own authenticity and Divine origin does the Pentateuch contain!
This site's exposition
as Moses entered into the tabernacle
on Exodus 33:9-10
The cloudy pillar that led the march at 13:21 and stood between the two armies at 14:19 comes down and takes its place at a tent door. The people worship from where they are, every man in his own tent door, which is as near as this chapter lets them come. The width of the whole camp lies between the pillar at that door and the people at theirs.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The cloudy pillar, which had withdrawn itself from the camp when it was polluted with idolatry, now returned to this tabernacle at some distance, coming back gradually.
Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v12-13
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended,....
That cause could not but speed well which had so good a manager; when their judge (under God) becomes their advocate, and he who was appointed to be their law-giver is an intercessor for them, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
This took place after what is reported in the section beginning with the words, See, Thou sayest unto me (v.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֗ה | vehayah | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְּבֹ֤א | kevo' | when went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מֹשֶׁה֙ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| הָאֹ֔הֱלָה | haohelah | the tent towards | H168 → | 345 times |
| יֵרֵד֙ | yered | it came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| עַמּ֣וּד | ʾamud | [the] pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| הֶֽעָנָ֔ן | heanan | <the> cloud | H6051 → | 87 times |
| וְעָמַ֖ד | veamad | and it stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| פֶּ֣תַח | petach | [the] opening of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| הָאֹ֑הֶל | haohel | the tent | H168 → | 345 times |
| וְדִבֶּ֖ר | vediber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
וְהָיָ֗הand it was
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כְּבֹ֤אwhen went
kevo'H935 →2568 times
מֹשֶׁה֙Moses
moshehH4872 →765 times
הָאֹ֔הֱלָהthe tent towards
haohelahH168 →345 times
יֵרֵד֙it came down
yeredH3381 →381 times
עַמּ֣וּד[the] pillar of
ʾamudH5982 →111 times
הֶֽעָנָ֔ן<the> cloud
heananH6051 →87 times
וְעָמַ֖דand it stood
veamadH5975 →521 times
פֶּ֣תַח[the] opening of
petachH6607 →164 times
הָאֹ֑הֶלthe tent
haohelH168 →345 times
וְדִבֶּ֖רand he spoke
vediberH1696 →1141 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃Moses
moshehH4872 →765 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
Exodus 31:18When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.
- Exodus 32:15–16
Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
- Deuteronomy 5:22
The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them…
- Deuteronomy 4:13
Through
Numbers 11:17And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:6
Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.
- Numbers 11:25
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit…
- 2 Kings 2:15
When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down…
- 1 Corinthians 12:4–11
There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
- 1 Samuel 10:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.