Face

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Means simply presence, as when it is recorded that Adam and Eve hid themselves from the “face [R.V., ‘presence’] of the Lord God” (Gen 3:8; comp. Exod 33:14, 15, where the same Hebrew word is rendered “presence”). The “light of God’s countenance” is his favour (Ps 44:3; Dan 9:17). “Face” signifies also anger, justice, severity (Gen 16:6, 8; Exod 2:15; Ps 68:1; Rev 6:16). To “provoke God to his face” (Isa 65:3) is to sin against him openly.

The Jews prayed with their faces toward the temple and Jerusalem (1 Kgs 8:38, 44, 48; Dan 6:10). To “see God’s face” is to have access to him and to enjoy his favour (Ps 17:15; 27:8). This is the privilege of holy angels (Matt 18:10; Luke 1:19). The “face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6) is the office and person of Christ, the revealer of the glory of God (John 1:14, 18).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Countenance

koun'-te-nans:

(1) The noun (see also under the word Face) is the translation of a variety of Hebrew and Greek expressions, panim; prosopon, being the most frequent. Besides these there are found mar'eh, "appearance," "shape," "comeliness," "visage," `ayin, "the eye," to'ar, "appearance," "figure," etc., and Aramaic ziw. To the Oriental the countenance mirrors, even more than to us, the character and feelings of the heart. The countenance (mar'eh) is"fair" (1 Sam 17:42; 2 Sam 14:27; Dan 1:15); in 1 Sam 16:12, literally, "fair of eyes"; "comely" (Song 2:14); "beautiful" (~to'ar, 1 Sam 25:3); "cheerful" (panim, Prov 15:13); "angry" (Prov 15:23); "fierce" (Dan 8:23); "troubled" (Ezek 27:35); "sad" (1 Sam 1:18; Neh 2:2; Neh 2:3; Eccl 7:3). The countenance is "sharpened" i.e. made keen (Prov 27:17); it "falls," i.e. looks despondent, disappointed (Gen 4:5; Gen 4:6); is "cast down" (Job 29:24); "changed" (Job 14:20; compare "altered" into glory, Luke 9:29; Dan 5:6; Dan 5:9; Dan 5:10; Dan 7:28, Aramaic ziw). To settle one's countenance stedfastly upon a person (2 Kgs 8:11) is synonymous with staring or gazing at a person. Not infrequently we find compound expressions such as "light of countenance," i.e. favor (Job 29:24; Ps 4:6; Ps 44:3; Ps 89:15; Ps 90:8); "health of countenance" (Ps 41:11; Ps 43:5); "help of countenance" (Ps 42:5); "rebuke of countenance" (Ps 80:16); "pride of countenance" (Hebrew 'aph, literally, "haughty," "lofty nose," Ps 10:4).

(2) As verb (Hebrew hadhar, "to countenance") we find the word in the King James Version of Exod 23:3, where the Revisers translate "Neither shalt thou favor (the King James Version "countenance") a poor man in his cause." Here the meaning seems to be that no distinction of persons shall be made by the judge. See Lev 19:15, where, however, a different word is used. There is therefore no need of the emendation proposed by Knobel and accepted by Kautzsch, who would read gadhol, "great," for wedhal, "and the poor" of the text. The Septuagint has penes, "poor."

H. L. E. Luering

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fas: In Hebrew the translation of three expressions:

(1) panim

(2) `ayin, literally, "eye" and

(3) 'aph, literally, "nose," "nostril," already noted under the word Countenance, which see.

The first and second of these words are used synonymously, even in metaphorical expressions, as, for example in the phrase "the face of the earth," where panim is used (Deut 6:15 et passim) and `ayin (Num 22:5 et passim). The third expression preserves more clearly its original meaning. It is generally used in the phrases "to bow one's self to the earth," "to fall on one's face," where the nose actually touched the ground. Often "my face," "thy face" is mere oriental circumlocution for the personal pronoun "I," "me," "thou," "thee." "In thy face" means "in thy presence;" and is often so translated. A very large number of idiomatic Hebrew expressions have been introduced into our language through the medium of the Bible translation. We notice the most important of these phrases.

"To seek the face" is to seek an audience with a prince or with God, to seek favor (Ps 24:6; Ps 27:8; Ps 105:4; Prov 7:15; Hos 5:15; compare Pr 29:26, where the Revised Version (British and American) translates "Many seek the ruler's favor," literally, many seek the face (Hebrew pene) of a ruler).

If God "hides his face" He withdraws His presence, His favor (Deut 32:20; Job 34:29; Ps 13:1; Ps 30:7; Ps 143:7; Isa 54:8; Jer 33:5; Ezek 39:23; Ezek 39:14; Mic 3:4). Such withdrawal of the presence of God is to be understood as a consequence of man's personal disobedience, not as a wrathful denial of God's favor (Isa 59:2). God is asked to "hide his face," i.e. to disregard or overlook (Ps 51:9; compare Ps 10:11). This is also the idea of the prayer: "Cast me not away from thy presence" (literally, "face," Ps 51:11), and of the promise: "The upright shall dwell in thy presence" (literally, "face," Ps 140:13). If used of men, "to hide the face" expresses humility and reverence before an exalted presence (Exod 3:6; Isa 6:2); similarly Elijah "wrapped his face in his mantle" when God passed by (1 Kgs 19:13). The "covering of the face" is a sign of mourning (2 Sam 19:4 = Ezek 12:6; Ezek 12:12); a "face covered with fatness" is synonymous with prosperity and arrogance (Job 15:27); to have one's face covered by another person is a sign of hopeless doom, as if one were already dead. This was done to Human, when judgment had been pronounced over him (Esth 7:8).

"To turn away one's face" is a sign of insulting indifference or contempt (2 Chr 29:6; Ezek 14:6; Sirach 4:4; compare Jer 2:27; Jer 18:17; Jer 32:33); on the part of God an averted face is synonymous with rejection (Ps 13:1; Ps 27:9; Ps 88:14).

"To harden the face" means to harden one's self against any sort of appeal (Prov 21:29; Isa 50:7; Jer 5:3; compare Ezek 3:9).