Contradiction claim
Can God be seen?
Several passages report human beings seeing God: Jacob at Peniel, the elders of Israel on the mountain, and Moses speaking with the LORD face to face. Other passages state that no one has seen God, or can see God and live — including one that stands only three verses after "face to face" in the same chapter of Exodus.
Semantic ambiguityReviewedSeverity: highClassification confidence: moderateTranslation dependent
2 source records · no review date recorded
How to read this record
This record states that a conflict has been claimed. The classification is CodexTrace’s editorial assessment of what kind of question this is, not a verdict on whether the passages can be read together. Primary text comes first; interpretation and analysis follow it. Methodology
Passages side by side
TextThe primary text, as seeded. Nothing here is summarised or paraphrased.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
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.