Numbers 9:19

Num 9:19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.

Ver. 19. Kept the charge of the Lord.] Or, His wateh - viz., to be ready at any hour to remove. So must we always watch and be in readiness, as not knowing whether at even, or at midnight, or cock crowing, or in the dawning, Christ will come. {Mar 13:35}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:19-23 The fiery cloud, witnessed even by Israel’s enemies (14:14), was a clear symbol of God’s glorious presence and the means by which he directed their movement.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

They waited when the Lord would signify either their departure, or their abode by the cloud.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle, . . . then Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not--A desert life has its attractions, and constant movements create a passionate love of change. Many incidents show that the Israelites had strongly imbibed this nomad habit and were desirous of hastening to Canaan. But still the phases of the cloud indicated the command of God: and whatsoever irksomeness they might have felt in remaining long stationary in camp, "when the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle many days, they kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not." Happy for them had they always exhibited this spirit of obedience! and happy for all if, through the wilderness of this world, we implicitly follow the leadings of God's Providence and the directions of God's Word!

Next: Numbers Chapter 10

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(19) Kept the charge of the Lord.—The same expression is used of Aaron and his sons in Lev_8:35, and also in respect to the office of the Levites in Num_3:7, as keeping the charge of Aaron and of the congregation. It is also used of the people generally in 2Ch_23:6, in regard to the charge or “watch” of the Lord. It may imply that the people were to engage in acts of religious worship, or it may denote adherence to the Divine commands and ordinances generally, as in Eze_48:11.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle,.... Or "days of number", which were so few that they might be easily numbered: the Targum of Jonathan interprets them of the seven days of the week, as if the sense was, when the cloud rested a week on the tabernacle:

according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents; during these few days, be they a week, or more, or less:

and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed; when it removed from the tabernacle.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The charge of the Lord, i.e. the command of God mentioned before, that they should stay as long as the cloud staid, as the same phrase is manifestly taken below, Num 9:23. And this, saith he, they did, though it were long in one place, which was tedious to them, who desired to change places, and to make haste to Canaan, yet they obeyed God herein against their own inclinations; which because it was remarkable in so obstinate a people, it is so largely and particularly mentioned here, as an instance of their obedience, and as an aggravation of the many following instances of their apostacy and disobedience.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Tarried long. Hebrew, "to prolong," i.e., the resting. The Septuagint has efelkhtai hmerav pleiouv .

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The charge - That is, the command of God, that they should stay as long as the cloud stayed.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

AND WHEN THE CLOUD TARRIED. This means that if the cloud tarried upon the Tabernacle many days, and the place [where they happened to be camped] was not good in their eyes, so that they very much desired and wanted to journey away from there, they were nonetheless not to transgress the will of G-d; this being the meaning of the verse, and the children of Israel kept the charge of the Eternal, and journeyed not, namely that [it was only] because of their fear of G-d and because they kept the charge of His command that they did not journey. Similarly, if the cloud was there only a few days, for instance two or three days, and the people were very tired because their strength had weakened in the way, they would nonetheless fulfill the will of G-d and walk after the cloud. And Scripture further relates that sometimes they tarried for only one night and journeyed in the [next] morning, although it was a great strain for them. And at times the cloud tarried a day and a night, when they had journeyed throughout the night and arrived at that place in the morning, and the cloud stayed there all that day and all the night, and was taken up on the second morning and they journeyed. This was an even greater trouble for them than the previously-mentioned one, because the people would think that they were to stay there [for a long time], and would unload the wagons and lay down their burdens, as is the custom of those who come from a journey, and when the cloud was taken up they began reloading, and could not make any preparations for the journey. Whether it were two days, and they journeyed at night.It is possible that it happened during their journeys that they had to do as is narrated here, and not in another way, namely that the cloud first tarried from evening until morning, then a day and night, then two days, then a month and finally a year. This is why Scripture mentioned these periods in detail. It [the cloud] would also tarry for many years, as Scripture mentioned at the beginning [of this section], which means “many years.” such as in Kadesh of which Scripture states, And ye abode in Kadesh many days, according to the days that ye abode there. ).

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.