Psalm 105:39
New International Version
He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.

New Living Translation
The LORD spread a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.

English Standard Version
He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.

Berean Standard Bible
He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.

King James Bible
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

New King James Version
He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.

New American Standard Bible
He spread out a cloud as a covering, And fire to illumine by night.

NASB 1995
He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to illumine by night.

NASB 1977
He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to illumine by night.

Legacy Standard Bible
He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light by night.

Amplified Bible
The LORD spread a cloud as a covering [by day], And a fire to illumine the night.

Christian Standard Bible
He spread a cloud as a covering and gave a fire to light up the night.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He spread a cloud as a covering and gave a fire to light up the night.

American Standard Version
He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.

Contemporary English Version
God hid them under a cloud and guided them by fire during the night.

English Revised Version
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He spread out a cloud as a protective covering and a fire to light up the night.

Good News Translation
God put a cloud over his people and a fire at night to give them light.

International Standard Version
He spread out a cloud for a cover, and fire for light at night.

Majority Standard Bible
He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.

NET Bible
He spread out a cloud for a cover, and provided a fire to light up the night.

New Heart English Bible
He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night.

Webster's Bible Translation
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

World English Bible
He spread a cloud for a covering, fire to give light in the night.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He has spread a cloud for a covering, "" And fire to enlighten the night.

Young's Literal Translation
He hath spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to enlighten the night.

Smith's Literal Translation
He spread a cloud for covering, and fire to lighten the night.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He spread a cloud for their protection, and fire to give them light in the night.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night.

New American Bible
He spread a cloud out as a cover, and made a fire to light up the night.

New Revised Standard Version
He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He spread a cloud to shade them, and fire to give light in the night.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He spread a cloud before them and it shaded them, and fire to give light in the night.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He spread a cloud for a screen; And fire to give light in the night.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He spread out a cloud for a covering to them, and fire to give them light by night.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Tell of His Wonders
38Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of Israel had fallen on them. 39He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night. 40They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.…

Cross References
Exodus 13:21-22
And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. / Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

Exodus 14:19-20
And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, / so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.

Exodus 40:34-38
Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. / Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. / Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out through all the stages of their journey. ...

Numbers 9:15-23
On the day that the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it and appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. / It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire. / Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set out, and wherever the cloud settled, there the Israelites would camp. ...

Nehemiah 9:12
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.

Nehemiah 9:19
You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.

Isaiah 4:5-6
Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy, / a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 63:12-14
who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, / who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? / Like cattle going down to the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make for Yourself a glorious name.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Revelation 7:15-17
For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. / ‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’ / For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Exodus 16:10
And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.

Numbers 14:14
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.

Deuteronomy 1:33
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.

Psalm 78:14
He led them with a cloud by day and with a light of fire all night.

Psalm 99:7
He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.


Treasury of Scripture

He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

spread

Psalm 78:14
In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

Exodus 13:21,22
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: …

Exodus 14:24
And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

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Psalm 105
1. An exhortation to praise God, and to seek out his works
7. The story of God's providence over Abraham
16. Over Joseph
23. Over Jacob in Egypt
26. Over Moses delivering the Israelites
37. Over the Israelites brought out of Egypt, fed in the desert, and planted in Canaan.














He spread a cloud for a covering
This phrase refers to God's divine provision and protection over the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word for "cloud" is "עָנָן" (anan), which signifies a visible manifestation of God's presence. In the ancient Near Eastern context, clouds were often associated with divine presence and guidance. The cloud served as a shield from the harsh desert sun, symbolizing God's care and the comfort He provides to His people. This imagery is reminiscent of God's promise to be a refuge and a fortress, as seen throughout the Psalms.

and a fire to give light at night
The "fire" mentioned here is a reference to the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites by night, as described in Exodus 13:21. The Hebrew word for "fire" is "אֵשׁ" (esh), which often symbolizes God's holiness and purifying presence. In the wilderness, the fire provided not only light but also warmth and security in the cold desert nights. This miraculous guidance underscores God's faithfulness and His role as a constant guide for His people. The fire also serves as a metaphor for the light of God's word, which illuminates the path of the faithful, as echoed in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

(39) Cloud.--As in Isaiah 4:5. The reason assigned for the cloud in the historical books is lost sight of. Instead of a pillar marking the line of march, or as a protection against the pursuing foe, it is a canopy for protection from the sun. Sir Walter Scott expresses the same idea in Rebecca's hymn.

Verse 39. - He spread a cloud for a covering. The "pillar of the cloud" is intended. It was a "covering" to the Israelites on the night of the passage of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19, 20), and perhaps also to some extent in the wilderness, when it may have sheltered them from the sun's rays (Hengstenberg); but its main purpose was to direct them on their way (Exodus 14:21), to tell them when to move and when to step, and how long to stop (Exodus 40:36-38). And fire to give light in the night. By night the "pillar of the cloud" became a "pillar of fire," shedding a certain radiance around, and giving the people under all circumstances sufficient light (Exodus 13:21; Exodus 40:38).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He spread
פָּרַ֣שׂ (pā·raś)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse

a cloud
עָנָ֣ן (‘ā·nān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6051: A cloud, the nimbus, thunder-cloud

as a covering
לְמָסָ֑ךְ (lə·mā·sāḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4539: A covering, screen

and a fire
וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ (wə·’êš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

to light up
לְהָאִ֥יר (lə·hā·’îr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 215: To be or become light

the night.
לָֽיְלָה׃ (lā·yə·lāh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity


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OT Poetry: Psalm 105:39 He spread a cloud for a covering (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 105:38
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