John Calvin Commentary Exodus 33:11

"And Jehovah spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent." — Exodus 33:11 (ASV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face. Moses would later be dignified by this distinction, as God would subsequently declare the difference between him and other Prophets (Numbers 12:8). This phrase, therefore, describes a familiar interaction, as if to say that God appeared to Moses through an extraordinary mode of revelation.

If anyone objects that there is a contradiction between this statement and what will soon be stated, Thou canst not see my face, the solution is easy: namely, that although God revealed Himself to Moses in a unique manner, He still never appeared in the fullness of His glory, but only to the extent that human weakness could endure. For this expression contains an implied comparison, i.e., that no man was ever equal to Moses or reached such a level of dignity.

And this serves to magnify the Law, because Moses, its minister, reported what he had learned through such familiar interaction, so that no ambiguity could be suspected.

When it is said that Joshua did not depart from the tabernacle, we gather that Moses's dwelling place was in the camp. Perhaps the fact of Joshua being a young man is mentioned³⁶⁵ to further illustrate God’s grace in choosing him to have charge of the sanctuary. It is true that Joshua at this time was of mature age, but God’s special blessing was manifested in him, because God passed over many older men and appointed him, who was younger, to be the keeper of His tabernacle.

³⁶⁵ “So called (says Ainsworth) in respect of his service, not of years, for he was now above fifty years old, as may be gathered by Joshua 24:29. But because ministry and service are usually by the younger sort, all servants are called young men. See Genesis 14:24.” “Perhaps, (adds Adam Clarke,) נער naghar, here translated young man, means a single person, one unmarried.” Others suppose that he was so called as being integer, upright, and without guile; and De Lyra, as being young in respect to Moses.