Bamidbar 9:16

16 So it was tamid: the Anan covered it by day, and the appearance of eish by lailah.

Bamidbar 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 9:16

So it was alway
Night and day, as long as the people of Israel were in the wilderness, see ( Exodus 13:21 Exodus 13:22 ) ( Nehemiah 9:19 ) ;

the cloud covered it [by day]:
the phrase, "by day", is not in the text, but is easily and necessarily supplied from ( Exodus 40:38 ) ; and as it is in the Targum of Jonathan, and in the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and which the following clause requires:

and the appearance of fire by night;
when as a cloud it could not be because of the darkness of the night; as in the daytime it could not be discerned as a body of fire or light, because of the light of the sun; but being seen under these different forms, was serviceable both by day and night, for the following purposes.

Bamidbar 9:16 In-Context

14 And if a ger shall stay for a while among you, and will observe the Pesach unto Hashem; according to the chukkat of the Pesach, and according to the mishpat thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one chukkat, both for the ger, and for him that was born in the land.

15 And on the day that the Mishkan was set up the Anan covered the Mishkan, namely, the Ohel HaEdut; and at erev there was upon the Mishkan as it were the appearance of eish, until boker.

16 So it was tamid: the Anan covered it by day, and the appearance of eish by lailah.

17 And when the Anan was lifted up from the Ohel, then after that the Bnei Yisroel set out; and in the place where the Anan abode, there the Bnei Yisroel encamped.

18 At the mouth of Hashem the Bnei Yisroel set out, and at the mouth of Hashem they encamped; as long as the Anan abode upon the Mishkan they encamped.