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Bible in Basic English

Numbers 9:16

And so it was at all times: it was covered by the cloud, and by a light as 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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So it was alway: the cloude couered it by day, and the appearaunce of fire by nyght.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So it was alway: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night.
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 when the House was put up, the cloud came down on it, on the Tent of witness; and in the evening there was a light like fire over the House till the morning. 16 And so it was at all times: it was covered by the cloud, and by a light as of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the House, then the children of Israel went journeying on; and in the place where the cloud came to rest, there the children of Israel put up their tents. 18 At the order of the Lord the children of Israel went forward, and at the order of the Lord they put up their tents: as long as the cloud was resting on the House, they did not go away from that place. 19 When the cloud was resting on the House for a long time the children of Israel, waiting for the order of the Lord, did not go on. 20 Sometimes the cloud was resting on the House for two or three days; then, by the order of the Lord, they kept their tents in that place, and when the Lord gave the order they went on. 21 And sometimes the cloud was there only from evening to morning; and when the cloud was taken up in the morning they went on their journey again: or if it was resting there by day and by night, whenever the cloud was taken up they went forward. 22 Or if the cloud came to rest on the House for two days or a month or a year without moving, the children of Israel went on waiting there and did not go on; but whenever it was taken up they went forward on their journey. 23 At the word of the Lord they put up their tents, and at the word of the Lord they went forward on their journey: they kept the orders of the Lord as he gave them by 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 living and moving thing will be food for you; I give them all to you as before I gave you all green things.
Genesis 9:4
But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.
Genesis 9:8
And God said to Noah and to his sons,
Genesis 9:9
Truly, I will make my agreement with you and with your seed after you,
Genesis 9:10
And with every living thing with you, all birds and cattle and every beast of the earth which comes out of the ark with you.
Genesis 9:11
And I will make my agreement with you; never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters; never again will the waters come over all the earth for its destruction.
Genesis 9:21
And he took of the wine of it and was overcome by drink; and he was uncovered in his tent.
Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father unclothed, and gave news of it to his two brothers outside.
Genesis 17:7
And I will make between me and you and your seed after you through all generations, an eternal agreement to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
Genesis 17:13
He who comes to birth in your house and he who is made yours for a price, all are to undergo circumcision; so that my agreement may be marked in your flesh, an agreement for all time.

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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