When Moses entered the tent, literally “And it was according to the entering of Moses the tent,” has the same form as verse 8, giving it the sense of “whenever” (New Jerusalem Bible). The pillar of cloud is the same as 13.21. (See the comment there.) Would descend and stand is literally “it came down and took its stand.” As before, the would brings out the sense of repeated action. Good News Translation has “would come down and stay.” At the door of the tent refers to the opening, or entrance, of the tent of meeting.

And the LORD would speak with Moses is literally “and he [or, it] spoke with Moses.” The LORD is not in the text. However, since the cloud represented the presence of Yahweh, the “he” obviously refers to Yahweh. Good News Translation makes explicit what is probably intended, “and the LORD would speak to Moses from the cloud.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .