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Friday, July 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Numbers 9:16

So it was alway: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cloud;   Fire;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - High Priest, the;   Tabernacle;   Theocracy, the, or Immediate Government by God;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Cloud;   Miracle;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Cloud, Cloud of the Lord;   Leviticus, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Cloud;   Numbers, the Book of;   Tabernacle;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baptism of Fire;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Tabernacle;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Plagues of Egypt;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Moses;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
King James Version
So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Lexham English Bible
So it was continually; the cloud would cover it and the appearance of fire by night.
New Century Version
The cloud stayed above the Tent, and at night it looked like fire.
New English Translation
This is the way it used to be continually: The cloud would cover it by day, and there was a fiery appearance by night.
Amplified Bible
So it was continuously; the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
New American Standard Bible
That is how it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So it was alway: the cloude couered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Legacy Standard Bible
So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Complete Jewish Bible
So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night.
Darby Translation
So it was continually: the cloud covered it, and at night it was as the appearance of fire.
Easy-to-Read Version
The cloud stayed over the Holy Tent all the time. And at night the cloud looked like fire.
English Standard Version
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.
George Lamsa Translation
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night;
Christian Standard Bible®
It remained that way continuously: the cloud would cover it, appearing like fire at night.
Literal Translation
so it was always; the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So came it to passe allwaye, yt the cloude couered it by daye, & the symilitude of fyre by night.
American Standard Version
So it was alway: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
Bible in Basic English
And so it was at all times: it was covered by the cloud, and by a light as of fire by night.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So it was alway: the cloude couered it by day, and the appearaunce of fire by nyght.
King James Version (1611)
So it was always: the cloud couered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So it was continually: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
English Revised Version
So it was alway: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
Berean Standard Bible
It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thus it was don continueli, a cloude hilide it bi dai, and as the licnesse of fier bi nyyt.
Young's Literal Translation
so it is continually; the cloud covereth it, also the appearance of fire by night.
Update Bible Version
So it always was: the cloud covered it and by night [had] the appearance of fire.
Webster's Bible Translation
So it was always; the cloud covered it [by day], and the appearance of fire by night.
World English Bible
So it was continually. The cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
New King James Version
So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
New Living Translation
This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.
New Life Bible
It was like this always. The cloud would cover it during the day. What looked like fire would cover it during the night.
New Revised Standard
It was always so: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus, came it to pass continually, the cloud, covered it, - and an appearance of fire, by night;
Douay-Rheims Bible
So it was always: by day the cloud covered it, and by night as it were the appearance of fire.
Revised Standard Version
So it was continually; the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

Contextual Overview

15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the testimony; and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until morning. 16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel encamped. 18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they encamped: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 And when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. 20 And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. 21 And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed; or if it continued by day and by night, when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. 22 Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel remained encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed. 23 At the commandment of the LORD they encamped, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 9:18-22, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22, Exodus 40:38, Deuteronomy 1:33, Nehemiah 9:12, Nehemiah 9:19, Psalms 78:14, Psalms 105:39, Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6, 1 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Revelation 21:3, This cloud not only enlightened the Israelites, but also protected them, and was a continual pledge of God's presence and protection. To this manifestation of the Divine glory, the prophet Isaiah alludes, when he says - Isaiah 4:5, "The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night." God is the director, protector, and glory of his church.

Cross-References

Genesis 9:3
Every moving thing that liveth shall be for food for you; as the green herb have I given you all.
Genesis 9:4
Only flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Genesis 9:8
And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying:
Genesis 9:9
'As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
Genesis 9:11
And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.'
Genesis 9:21
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Genesis 17:7
And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
Genesis 17:13
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So it was alway,.... Night and day, as long as the people of Israel were in the wilderness, see Exodus 13:21;

the cloud covered it [by day]: the phrase, "by day", is not in the text, but is easily and necessarily supplied from Exodus 40:38; and as it is in the Targum of Jonathan, and in the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and which the following clause requires:

and the appearance of fire by night; when as a cloud it could not be because of the darkness of the night; as in the daytime it could not be discerned as a body of fire or light, because of the light of the sun; but being seen under these different forms, was serviceable both by day and night, for the following purposes.


 
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