God’s Word Translation
Numbers 12:8
8I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of the Lord. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”
Numbers 12:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
- New International Version (NIV)With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?”
Context of Numbers 12:8
6He said, “Listen to my words: When there are prophets of the Lord among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams. 7But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household. I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of the Lord. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” 9The Lord was angry with them, so he left. 10When the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease.
Read all of Numbers 12Numbers 12:8 word by word
פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- With him will I speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- even apparentlyמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
- and not in dark speechesחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
- and the similitudeתְּמוּנָהtemûnâh temûnâh · likenessH8544
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall he beholdנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- wherefore then were ye not afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- against my servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
Cross-references for Numbers 12:8
- Numbers 14:14What if the Egyptians tell the people who live in this land? Lord, they have already heard that you are with these people, that they have seen you with their own eyes, that your column of smoke stays over them, and that you go ahead of them in a column of smoke by day and in a column of fire by night.
- Exodus 33:11The Lord would speak to Moses personally, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would come back to the camp, but his assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, stayed inside the tent.
- Deuteronomy 34:10There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord dealt with face to face.
- 1 Timothy 6:16He is the only one who cannot die. He lives in light that no one can come near. No one has seen him, nor can they see him. Honor and power belong to him forever! Amen.
- Psalms 49:4I will turn my attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle with the ⌞music of⌟ a lyre.
- Ezekiel 17:2“Son of man, tell this riddle. Give this illustration to the nation of Israel.
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Oh no! Almighty Lord, no! The people already say that I’m only telling stories.”
- Matthew 13:34Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story.
- John 15:15I don’t call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I’ve called you friends because I’ve made known to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.
- Exodus 24:10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made out of sapphire as clear and blue as the sky itself.
- Exodus 33:19The Lord said, “I will let all my goodness pass in front of you, and there I will call out my name ‘the Lord.’ I will be kind to anyone I want to. I will be merciful to anyone I want to.
- Exodus 34:5The Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him and called out his name “the Lord.”
- Deuteronomy 4:15You didn’t see the Lord the day he spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb. So be very careful
- Isaiah 40:18To whom, then, can you compare God? To what statue can you compare him?
- Isaiah 46:5To whom will you compare me and make me equal? To whom will you compare me so that we can be alike?
Commentaries on Numbers 12:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-15Verses 1-15 Miriam, as a prophetess (compare Exodus 15:20-21) no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him. Miriam was the instigator, from the fact that her name stands…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-8The Lord trusted Moses, leading to a close relationship. God communicated with prophets through visions and dreams, but he spoke to Moses face to face (literally mouth to mouth; see Exodus 33:8–11, 18–23; Deuteronomy 34:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. with him will I speak mouth to mouth--immediately, not by an interpreter, nor by visionary symbols presented to his fancy. apparently--plainly and surely. not in dark speeches--parables or similitudes. the similitude of the Lord shall he behold--not the face or essence of God, who is invisible (Ex 33:20; Col 1:15; Joh 1:18); but some unmistakable evidence of His glorious presence (Ex 33:2; 34:5). The latter clause should have been conjoined with the…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 12:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries