Ulangan 4:33

4:33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it?

Kejadian 32:30

32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ¹  explaining, ²  “Certainly ³  I have seen God face to face ⁴  and have survived.” ⁵ 

Keluaran 33:20

33:20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can ⁶  see me and live.” ⁷ 

Yudas 1:22

1:22 And have mercy on those who waver;

[32:30]  ¹ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ² tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ³ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ⁴ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:30]  sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.

[33:20]  ⁶ tn In view of the use of the verb “can, be able to” in the first clause, this imperfect tense is given a potential nuance.

[33:20]  ⁷ tn Gesenius notes that sometimes a negative statement takes the place of a conditional clause; here it is equal to “if a man sees me he does not live” (GKC 498 §159.gg). The other passages that teach this are Gen 32:30; Deut 4:33, 5:24, 26; Judg 6:22, 13:22, and Isa 6:5.