Numbers 10:34
And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.
Original Language Analysis
וַֽעֲנַ֧ן
And the cloud
H6051
וַֽעֲנַ֧ן
And the cloud
Strong's:
H6051
Word #:
1 of 7
a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e., the nimbus or thunder-cloud
יְהוָ֛ה
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֛ה
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 7
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם
H5921
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
3 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
בְּנָסְעָ֖ם
when they went out
H5265
בְּנָסְעָ֖ם
when they went out
Strong's:
H5265
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, to pull up, especially the tent-pins, i.e., start on a journey
Cross References
Psalms 105:39He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.Nehemiah 9:12Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.Nehemiah 9:19Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Historical Context
This occurred at the departure from Mount Sinai (also called Horeb) in the second year after the Exodus, the twentieth day of the second month (Numbers 10:11). Israel had spent approximately eleven months at Sinai receiving the Law, constructing the Tabernacle, and organizing the camp. The cloud had rested on the Tabernacle since its completion (Exodus 40:34-38).
Questions for Reflection
- How do you discern when God's 'cloud' is moving—when it's time to stay versus time to go in your current season?
- What must you release to follow God's guidance with the immediacy Israel required when the cloud moved?
- How does visible dependence on God's leading (like the cloud) differ from our culture's emphasis on strategic planning and self-reliance?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp—The עֲנַ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה (ʿănan YHWH, cloud of the LORD) provided both guidance and protection during Israel's journeys. This marks the departure from Sinai, where Israel had camped for nearly a year receiving the Law. The cloud's presence 'by day' (yômām) paired with the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21) gave continuous divine oversight.
The cloud represents God's Shekinah glory—His manifest presence dwelling with His people. Israel's movement wasn't based on human strategy but divine initiative; they traveled only when the cloud moved (Numbers 9:15-23). This theocratic guidance system required radical trust and immediate obedience, foreshadowing the Spirit's leading of the Church (Galatians 5:25).