a collection of vapours suspended in the atmosphere. When the
Israelites had left Egypt, God gave them a pillar of cloud to direct
their march, Exod. xiii, 21, 22. According to Jerom, in his Epistle to
Fabiola, this cloud attended them from Succoth; or, according to others,
from Rameses; or, as the Hebrews say, only from Ethan, till the death of
Aaron; or, as the generality of commentators are of opinion, to the
passage of Jordan. This pillar was commonly in front of the Israelites;
but at Pihahiroth, when the Egyptian army approached behind them, it
placed itself between Israel and the Egyptians, so that the Egyptians
could not come near the Israelites all night, Exod. xiv, 19, 20. In the
morning, the cloud moving on over the sea, and following the Israelites
who had passed through it, the Egyptians pressing after were drowned.
From that time, this cloud attended the Israelites; it was clear and
bright during night, in order to afford them light; but in the day it
was thick and gloomy, to defend them from the excessive heats of the
deserts. “The angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed
and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their
face, and stood behind them,” Exod. xiv, 19. Here we may observe, that
the angel and the cloud made the same motion, as it would seem, in
company. The cloud by its motions gave the signal to the Israelites to
encamp or to decamp. Where, therefore, it stayed, the people stayed till
it rose again; then they broke up their camp, and followed it till it
stopped. It was called a pillar, by reason of its form, which was high
and elevated. Some interpreters suppose that there were two clouds, one
to enlighten, the other to shade, the camp.
The Lord appeared at Sinai in the midst of a cloud, Exod. xix, 9; xxiv,
5; and after Moses had built and consecrated the tabernacle, the cloud
filled the court around it, so that neither Moses nor the priests could
enter, Exodus xl, 34, 35. The same happened at the dedication of the
temple of Jerusalem by Solomon, 2 Chronicles v, 13; 1 Kings viii, 10.
When the cloud appeared upon the tent, in front of which were held the
assemblies of the people in the desert, it was then indicated that God
was present; for the tent was a sign of God’s presence. The angel
descended in the cloud, and thence spoke to Moses, without being seen by
the people, Exod. xvi, 10; Num. xi, 25; xvi, 5. It is common in
Scripture, when mentioning God’s appearing, to represent him as
encompassed with clouds, which serve as a chariot, and contribute to
veil his dreadful majesty, Job xxii, 14; Isaiah xix, 1; Matt. xvii, 5;
xxiv, 30, &c; Psalm xviii, 11, 12; xcvii, 2; civ, 3. Cloud is also used
for morning mists: “Your goodness is as a morning cloud; and as the
early dew it goeth away,” Hosea vi, 4; xiii, 3. Job, speaking of the
chaos, says, that God had confined the sea or the water, as it were with
a cloud, and covered it with darkness, as a child is wrapped in its
blankets. The author of Ecclesiasticus, xxiv, 6, used the same
expression. The Son of God, at his second advent, is described as
descending upon clouds, Matt. xxiv, 30; Luke xi, 27; Rev. xiv, 14–16.
Israelites had left Egypt, God gave them a pillar of cloud to direct
their march, Exod. xiii, 21, 22. According to Jerom, in his Epistle to
Fabiola, this cloud attended them from Succoth; or, according to others,
from Rameses; or, as the Hebrews say, only from Ethan, till the death of
Aaron; or, as the generality of commentators are of opinion, to the
passage of Jordan. This pillar was commonly in front of the Israelites;
but at Pihahiroth, when the Egyptian army approached behind them, it
placed itself between Israel and the Egyptians, so that the Egyptians
could not come near the Israelites all night, Exod. xiv, 19, 20. In the
morning, the cloud moving on over the sea, and following the Israelites
who had passed through it, the Egyptians pressing after were drowned.
From that time, this cloud attended the Israelites; it was clear and
bright during night, in order to afford them light; but in the day it
was thick and gloomy, to defend them from the excessive heats of the
deserts. “The angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed
and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their
face, and stood behind them,” Exod. xiv, 19. Here we may observe, that
the angel and the cloud made the same motion, as it would seem, in
company. The cloud by its motions gave the signal to the Israelites to
encamp or to decamp. Where, therefore, it stayed, the people stayed till
it rose again; then they broke up their camp, and followed it till it
stopped. It was called a pillar, by reason of its form, which was high
and elevated. Some interpreters suppose that there were two clouds, one
to enlighten, the other to shade, the camp.
The Lord appeared at Sinai in the midst of a cloud, Exod. xix, 9; xxiv,
5; and after Moses had built and consecrated the tabernacle, the cloud
filled the court around it, so that neither Moses nor the priests could
enter, Exodus xl, 34, 35. The same happened at the dedication of the
temple of Jerusalem by Solomon, 2 Chronicles v, 13; 1 Kings viii, 10.
When the cloud appeared upon the tent, in front of which were held the
assemblies of the people in the desert, it was then indicated that God
was present; for the tent was a sign of God’s presence. The angel
descended in the cloud, and thence spoke to Moses, without being seen by
the people, Exod. xvi, 10; Num. xi, 25; xvi, 5. It is common in
Scripture, when mentioning God’s appearing, to represent him as
encompassed with clouds, which serve as a chariot, and contribute to
veil his dreadful majesty, Job xxii, 14; Isaiah xix, 1; Matt. xvii, 5;
xxiv, 30, &c; Psalm xviii, 11, 12; xcvii, 2; civ, 3. Cloud is also used
for morning mists: “Your goodness is as a morning cloud; and as the
early dew it goeth away,” Hosea vi, 4; xiii, 3. Job, speaking of the
chaos, says, that God had confined the sea or the water, as it were with
a cloud, and covered it with darkness, as a child is wrapped in its
blankets. The author of Ecclesiasticus, xxiv, 6, used the same
expression. The Son of God, at his second advent, is described as
descending upon clouds, Matt. xxiv, 30; Luke xi, 27; Rev. xiv, 14–16.