Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, didn’t depart from the Tent.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
- BSB Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.
- NKJV So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
- NASB So the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
- NLT Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God spoke with Moses 'face to face, as a man speaks to his friend,' while Joshua remained at the Tent. It describes the extraordinary intimacy of Moses' fellowship with God.
Overview
The phrase 'face to face' depicts the directness and friendship of God's communication with Moses, even though, as verse 20 clarifies, Moses did not see God's unveiled face. This unique relationship sets Moses apart as prophet and mediator. Yet Hebrews shows Christ as the greater Moses, who brings believers into even fuller fellowship with God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Num 12:8With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Yahweh’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”
- Deut 34:10Since then, there has not arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face,
- Exod 24:13Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God’s Mountain.
- Exod 33:9When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses.
- John 15:14–15You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.
- Gen 32:30Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
- Deut 5:4Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the middle of the fire,
- Jas 2:23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.
- John 11:11He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
- John 3:29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
- Isa 42:8“I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
- 2 Chr 20:7Didn’t you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the offspring of Abraham your friend forever?
- Job 16:21that he would maintain the right of a man with God, of a son of man with his neighbor!
- Exod 32:17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of war in the camp.”
- Exod 17:9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 33:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.