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.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- 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.
- 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 12:8I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
- Deut 34:10Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—
- Exod 24:13So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant and went up on the mountain of God.
- Exod 33:9As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
- John 15:14–15You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- Gen 32:30So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
- Deut 5:4The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
- Jas 2:23And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
- John 11:11After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
- John 3:29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
- Isa 42:8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
- 2 Chr 20:7Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?
- Job 16:21Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!
- Exod 32:17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
- Exod 17:9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.