The Meaning of Exodus 33:11 Explained

Exodus 33:11

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.

YLT: And Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses face unto face, as a man speaketh unto his friend; and he hath turned back unto the camp, and his minister Joshua, son of Nun, a youth, departeth not out of the tent.

Darby: And Jehovah spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. And he returned to the camp; but his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from within the tent.

ASV: And Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 33:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 33:1-11 - The Angel Leader And The Human Intercessor
Moses knew that His people were forgiven, but it hurt him to hear that an angel was henceforth to lead them. See Exodus 32:34. The burden of two and a half millions of people was too heavy for him to carry, even with angel-help. He must somehow secure the withdrawal of that sentence, "I will not go up in the middle of thee." He spoke of it to the people, who awoke to realize what their sin had forfeited, and put off their jewels. But their leader gave himself to prayer. Since Sinai was too far to climb, he seems to have pitched his own tent outside the camp as a temporary meeting-place with God; and when he entered it the people said: "Look! he is going to pray for us;" and he spake with God face to face, as we may, of what was in his heart. See John 16:26-27. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 33

1  The Lord refuses to go as he had promised with the people
4  The people mourn there
7  The tabernacle is removed out of the camp
9  The Lord talks familiarly with Moses
12  Moses prevails with God, and desires to see his glory

What do the individual words in Exodus 33:11 mean?

So spoke Yahweh to Moses face face as speaks a man his friend And he would return the camp but his servant Joshua son of Nun a young man not did depart from the tabernacle -
וְדִבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־ מֹשֶׁה֙ פָּנִ֣ים פָּנִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְדַבֵּ֥ר אִ֖ישׁ רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁב֙ הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וּמְשָׁ֨רְת֜וֹ יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ בִּן־ נוּן֙ נַ֔עַר לֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֹֽהֶל ס

וְדִבֶּ֨ר  So  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁה֙  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
פָּנִ֣ים  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
פָּנִ֔ים  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְדַבֵּ֥ר  speaks 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִ֖ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֵעֵ֑הוּ  his  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וְשָׁב֙  And  he  would  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה  the  camp 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
וּמְשָׁ֨רְת֜וֹ  but  his  servant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
בִּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נוּן֙  of  Nun 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נוּן  
Sense: father of Joshua the successor of Moses.
נַ֔עַר  a  young  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
יָמִ֖ישׁ  did  depart 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּשׁ  
Sense: to depart, remove.
הָאֹֽהֶל  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation