Hester Panim – Hiding One’s Face

Is God playing hide and seek with man? Why does God hide His face? What is the difference between Moses covering his face, and God concealing His countenance? Does God today hide His face in the same way? What does the term “to hide one’s face” mean in the Bible? In the Hebrew Bible text, the phrase “to hide one’s face” appears a number of times; the expression is hester panim (הסתר פנים). Most often it appears in connection with God hiding His face from the people of Israel, or when prophets foretell that God will “hide” His face. At…