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Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
the Fifth Week after Easter
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Contemporary English Version

Numbers 9:20

whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cloud;   Fire;   Obedience;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cloud of Glory;   High Priest, the;   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;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cloud;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Tabernacle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Journeyings;   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
Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the mitzvah of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the mitzvah of the LORD they journeyed.
King James Version
And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.
Lexham English Bible
When the cloud remained a number of days on the tabernacle, on the command of Yahweh they encamped; and on the command of Yahweh they set out.
New Century Version
Sometimes the cloud was over it only a few days. At the Lord 's command the people camped, and at his command they moved.
New English Translation
When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days, they remained camped according to the Lord 's commandment, and according to the Lord 's commandment they would journey.
Amplified Bible
Sometimes the cloud remained only a few days over the tabernacle, and in accordance with the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then at His command they set out.
New American Standard Bible
If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, in accordance with the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then in accordance with the command of the LORD they set out.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So when the cloud abode a few dayes vpon the Tabernacle, they abode in their tents according to the comandement of ye Lord: for they iourneyed at the commandement of the Lorde.
Legacy Standard Bible
If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of Yahweh they remained camped. Then according to the command of Yahweh they set out.
Complete Jewish Bible
Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle; according to Adonai 's order, they remained in camp; and according to Adonai 's order, they traveled.
Darby Translation
And if it were so that the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle, according to the commandment of Jehovah they encamped, and according to the commandment of Jehovah they journeyed.
Easy-to-Read Version
Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the Lord 's command—they followed the cloud when it moved.
English Standard Version
Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out.
George Lamsa Translation
Sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of the LORD they remained in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
Good News Translation
Sometimes the cloud remained over the Tent for only a few days; in any case, they remained in camp or moved, according to the command of the Lord .
Christian Standard Bible®
Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days. They would camp at the Lord’s command and set out at the Lord’s command.
Literal Translation
And when the cloud was over the tabernacle many days, by the mouth of Jehovah they encamped, and by the mouth of Jehovah they pulled up stakes .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan it chaunced that the cloude abode vpo ye Habitacion eny space of dayes, then pitched they acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, & after the worde of the LORDE wente they on their iourney.
American Standard Version
And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of Jehovah they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Jehovah they journeyed.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the cloude abode a fewe dayes vpon the tabernacle, they abode in their tentes, accordyng to the commaundement of the Lorde: and they iourneyed also at the commaundement of the Lorde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And so it was when the cloude was a few daies vpon the Tabernacle, according to the commandement of the Lord, they abode in their tents, and according to the commandement of the Lord, they iourneyed.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall be, whenever the cloud overshadows the tabernacle a number of days, they shall encamp by the word of the Lord, and shall remove by the command of the Lord.
English Revised Version
And sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
Berean Standard Bible
Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days, and they would camp at the LORD's command and set out at the LORD's command.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
in hou many euer daies the cloude was on the tabernacle. At the comaundement of the Lord thei reisiden tentis, and at his comaundement thei diden doun.
Young's Literal Translation
and so when the cloud is a number of days over the tabernacle; by the command of Jehovah they encamp, and by the command of Jehovah they journey.
Update Bible Version
And sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of Yahweh they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Yahweh they journeyed.
Webster's Bible Translation
And [so] it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
World English Bible
Sometimes the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle; then according to the commandment of Yahweh they remained encamped, and according to the commandment of Yahweh they journeyed.
New King James Version
So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the LORD they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the LORD they would journey.
New Living Translation
Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord 's command they would break camp and move on.
New Life Bible
Sometimes the cloud stayed a few days over the meeting tent. But they obeyed the Lord and stayed in that place. Then they would leave when the Lord told them.
New Revised Standard
Sometimes the cloud would remain a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they would remain in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they would set out.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, so it was, when the cloud would be a few days upon the habitation, at the bidding of Yahweh, they remained encamped, and at the bidding of Yahweh, they set forward.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For as many days soever as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. At the commandment of the Lord they pitched their tents, and at his commandment they took them down.
Revised Standard Version
Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then according to the command of the LORD they set out.

Contextual Overview

15As soon as the sacred tent was set up, a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, 20whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. 23 They obeyed the Lord 's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 9:18 - and at the Deuteronomy 7:21 - the Lord

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made.
Genesis 4:2
Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.
Genesis 5:29
Lamech said, "I'll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the Lord has put under a curse."
Genesis 9:18
Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, came out of the boat. Ham later had a son named Canaan.
Genesis 9:19
All people on earth are descendants of Noah's three sons.
Genesis 9:24
When Noah woke up and learned what his youngest son had done,
Genesis 9:26
I ask the Lord my God to bless Shem and make Canaan his slave.
Deuteronomy 20:6
If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.
Deuteronomy 28:30
A man will be engaged to a woman, but before they can get married, she will be raped by enemy soldiers. Some of you will build houses, but never get to live in them. If you plant a vineyard, you won't be around long enough to enjoy the first harvest.
Proverbs 10:11
The words of good people are a source of life, but evil hides behind the words of the wicked.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And [so] it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle,.... Or "days of number", which were so few that they might be easily numbered: the Targum of Jonathan interprets them of the seven days of the week, as if the sense was, when the cloud rested a week on the tabernacle:

according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents; during these few days, be they a week, or more, or less:

and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed; when it removed from the tabernacle.


 
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