View All Biblical Expressions

Before the face of / from the face of

Here’s what it means

Something happened in someone’s presence, in front of that person, or because of that person’s approaching presence.

Why the Bible says it this way

An idiom is a familiar phrase whose meaning comes from the whole expression, not from reading each word by itself.

A helpful detail: Many English translations render the phrase simply as “before,” “from,” or “in the presence of.”

Where it appears