Deuteronomy 1:33
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who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The first part of Moses's farewell sermon to Israel begins with this chapter, and is continued to the latter end of the fourth chapter. In the first five verses of this chapter we have the date of the sermon, the place where it was preached (Deu 1:1, Deu 1:2, Deu 1:5), and the time when (Deu 1:3, Deu 1:4). The narrative in this chapter reminds them, I. Of the promise God made them of the land of Canaan (Deu 1:6-8). II. Of the provision made of judges for them (Deu 1:9-18). III. Of their unbelief and murmuring upon the report of the spies (Deu 1:19-33). IV. Of the sentence passed upon them for it, and the ratification of that sentence (Deu 1:34, etc.).
Open source ↗1:33 Physical manifestations of God (called theophanies), such as the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, assured God’s people of his presence and power. As he moved forward by these visible displays, they could also move, knowing that he would faithfully lead them to their final destination (Exod 13:21-22; 14:24; Ps 18:9-10).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.
He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night.
On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.
You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel.
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.
For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”
You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.