Exodus 33:9

33:9 And ¹  whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord ²  would speak with Moses. ³ 

Genesis 32:30

32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ⁴  explaining, ⁵  “Certainly ⁶  I have seen God face to face ⁷  and have survived.” ⁸ 

Numbers 12:8

12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ⁹  openly, ¹⁰  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ¹¹  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Deuteronomy 5:4

5:4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire.

Deuteronomy 34:10

34:10 No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face. ¹² 

¹ tn Heb “and it was when.”

² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Both verbs, “stand” and “speak,” are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutive.

⁴ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

⁵ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Or “because.”

⁷ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

⁸ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

⁹ tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough – it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.

¹⁰ tn The word מַרְאֶה (mar’eh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.

¹¹ tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, tÿmunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.

¹² sn See Num 12:8; Deut 18:15-18.