Discovery BoxExodus 33:11-12 
Context33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, 1 the way a person speaks 2 to a friend. Then Moses 3 would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent. 4
33:12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ 5 but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, 6 and also you have found favor in my sight.’
1 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).
2 tn The verb in this clause is a progressive imperfect.
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 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.
5 tn The Hiphil imperative is from the same verb that has been used before for bringing the people up from Egypt and leading them to Canaan.
6 tn That is, “chosen you.”
