Albert Barnes Commentary Exodus 33:7

"Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it, The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp." — Exodus 33:7 (ASV)

The tabernacle - The tent. The only word in the Old Testament that should be rendered “tabernacle,” משׁכן mı̂shkān, does not occur once in this narrative (Exodus 26:1). What is meant here is a tent appointed for this temporary purpose by Moses, possibly the one in which he was accustomed to live.

Pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp - This was so that the people might feel that they had forfeited the divine presence . This tent was to be a place for meeting with Yahweh, like the tabernacle which was about to be constructed.

The tent of meeting (as it should be called, see Exodus 27:21 note, and note at end of Exodus 40:0) was placed afar off from the camp, and the mediator and his faithful servant Joshua were alone admitted to it (Exodus 33:11).