Hebrew Bible · Exodus 13:21–22

Pillar of cloud, pillar of fire

ReferenceExodus 13:21–22

Writtenc. 900–500 BCE

SetThe Exodus

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.

Translation: KJV

Read it literally

A guide craft that hovers over a moving crowd for forty years, smoky by day and glowing by night. It also moves between Israel and Egypt's army to block them (14:19–20).

What scholars say

No archaeological trace of the Exodus as told; scholars debate whether a smaller real event lies behind it.

From the sky Looks like technology

Quick answers about Exodus 13:21–22

Where is Exodus 13:21–22 found?

Exodus 13:21–22 (Hebrew Bible). Translation quoted: King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with Apocrypha.

When was Exodus 13:21–22 written?

c. 900–500 BCE.

What do scholars say about Exodus 13:21–22?