These verses speak of two protectors, the angel of God and the pillar of cloud, in almost the same way. They each do the same thing in moving from the front to the rear, but they are not identical, so it is necessary to speak of them separately. This is due to two different traditions that have been brought together. The Elohist tradition (“E”) speaks of the angel of God, while the Yahwist tradition (“J”) speaks of the pillar of cloud.

The angel of God has not been mentioned before, but it is identified by the relative clause who went …. (In 3.2 it is “the angel of Yahweh.”) The word for angel also means messenger and should not be thought of as the winged creature of later Christian art. In some languages the angel of God will be rendered something like “God’s heavenly helper.” Who went before the host of Israel is literally “the one going,” using the participle to show continuous action. So New Revised Standard Version has “who was going before the Israelite army.” Others use the pluperfect to show that this was action in the past, so “who had been in the front” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version has “All this time God’s angel had gone ahead of Israel’s army, but now….” New International Version has “who had been traveling in front.” The host of Israel, or “the army of Israel” (Good News Translation), may also be expressed as “Israel’s soldiers [or, fighting men].” Moved is the same word as in verse 15. Here it takes on the meaning of “changed station” (New Jerusalem Bible). And went behind them is literally “and went after them.” Other ways to express this are “moved behind them” or “went to their rear.”

And the pillar of cloud is discussed at 13.21. Moved is the same word used for the angel. From before them is literally “from their faces.” And stood behind them may also mean “took its stand,” but this is a different word from “stand firm” in verse 13. Some translations add the word “also” to relate the second clause more naturally to the first clause (New International Version, New American Bible, Good News Translation). Good News Translation even joins this second clause with the following verse: “The pillar of cloud also moved until it was between….” (For pillar of cloud see the comment at 13.21.)

Coming between is literally “and it came between.” The host of Egypt and the host of Israel speaks of both groups in the same way, but the word for host is different from what it used in 12.17 and 41, and it is still different from 14.4. Here it really means “camp” (New American Bible), in the sense of a place where an army, or else ordinary travelers, set up tents or huts. New Revised Standard Version has “army.” Since women and children were included with the Israelites, it may be better just to say “between the Egyptians and the Israelites” (Good News Translation).

The Hebrew text for 14:20bis difficult to understand, so different proposals have been made to change the text. Some change the noun darkness into a verb, with the meaning “the cloud became dark.” Others change the verb “and it lit up” to another verb that means to curse. And still others change both words. As a result there are many different translations of this verse.

And there was the cloud and the darkness is literally “and the cloud was, and the darkness.” New American Bible changes the word darkness so as to read “But the cloud now became dark.” But this first clause cannot be interpreted apart from the second clause (see the discussion below).

And the night passed is not what the Hebrew says. Revised Standard Version is following the Septuagint (see the Revised Standard Version footnote). Literally the Hebrew says “and it lit up the night.” This is now followed by New Revised Standard Version and others. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has followed a different meaning for the Hebrew word: “and it cast a spell upon the night.” And Translator’s Old Testament adds one Hebrew letter to read “which prolonged the night” (similarly New English Bible and Revised English Bible). However, few translations have accepted these interpretations, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project still favors the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

The translator should follow New Revised Standard Version, taking the Hebrew as it stands: “And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night.” Good News Translation gives more meaning to this interpretation: “The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel” (similarly Contemporary English Version). New International Version is also clear: “the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side.” This interpretation suggests that the cloud was dark on the Egyptian side, but was like the pillar of fire on the Israelite side.

Without one coming near the other all night is literally “and did not approach this unto that all the night.” This means that the Egyptians and the Israelites “could not come near each other all night” (Good News Translation).

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 .