face to face: Moses and the Lord had a very close relationship. There was no need for another person to stand between them.
At one time, Aaron and Miriam questioned the leadership of Moses. The Lord strongly corrected them (Numbers 12:8). He reminded them that they were prophets who received messages from God through dreams and visions. Moses was different.
God said, “I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles” (12:8). No other prophet in Old Testament times had the same kind of relationship with God (see study note on Deuteronomy 18:15).