Exodus 33:9

9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, ¹the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; ²and the LORD would speak with Moses.

Exodus 33:9 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 33:9

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle,
the cloudy pillar descended
From the top of the mount in which Jehovah was:

and stood at the door of the tabernacle;
where Moses was just entered, and in sight of the people, which was a token of grace and favour both to him and them:

and [the Lord] talked with Moses;
not the cloudy pillar, but the Lord in it, as we rightly supply it: what he talked with him about is not said, very probably concerning the children of Israel, their conduct and behaviour, and what was his will further concerning them.

Exodus 33:9 In-Context

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

8 And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent.

9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.

10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.

11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 13:21
• 2. Psalms 99:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "He"