Deuteronomy 5:4-5

5:4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire. 5:5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message ¹  of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:

Exodus 33:11

33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, ²  the way a person speaks ³  to a friend. Then Moses ⁴  would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent. ⁵ 

Numbers 12:6-8

12:6 The Lord ⁶  said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, ⁷  I the Lord ⁸  will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream. 12:7 My servant ⁹  Moses is not like this; he is faithful ¹⁰  in all my house. 12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ¹¹  openly, ¹²  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ¹³  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

[5:5]  ¹ tn Or “word” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NRSV “words.”

[33:11]  ² tn “Face to face” is circumstantial to the action of the verb, explaining how they spoke (see GKC 489-90 §156.c). The point of this note of friendly relationship with Moses is that Moses was “at home” in this tent speaking with God. Moses would derive courage from this when he interceded for the people (B. Jacob, Exodus, 966).

[33:11]  ³ tn The verb in this clause is a progressive imperfect.

[33:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:11]  ⁵ sn Moses did not live in the tent. But Joshua remained there most of the time to guard the tent, it seems, lest any of the people approach it out of curiosity.

[12:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “he.”

[12:6]  ⁷ tn The form of this construction is rare: נְבִיאֲכֶם (nÿvi’akhem) would normally be rendered “your prophet.” The singular noun is suffixed with a plural pronominal suffix. Some commentators think the MT has condensed “a prophet” with “to you.”

[12:6]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew syntax is difficult here. “The Lord” is separated from the verb by two intervening prepositional phrases. Some scholars conclude that this word belongs with the verb at the beginning of v. 6 (“And the Lord spoke”).

[12:7]  ⁹ sn The title “my servant” or “servant of the Lord” is reserved in the Bible for distinguished personages, people who are truly spiritual leaders, like Moses, David, Hezekiah, and also the Messiah. Here it underscores Moses’ obedience.

[12:7]  ¹⁰ tn The word “faithful” is נֶאֱמָן (ne’eman), the Niphal participle of the verb אָמַן (’aman). This basic word has the sense of “support, be firm.” In the Niphal it describes something that is firm, reliable, dependable – what can be counted on. It could actually be translated “trustworthy.”

[12:8]  ¹¹ 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.

[12:8]  ¹² 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.

[12:8]  ¹³ 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.