[Tzfat]

But that's what a literal translation really says. The Hebrew word translated as face, "lipnay" literally means "in front of".

You are wrong. "lifnay" - you are kidding, right? You are confusing time with physical space. There is no such word in the Hebrew text of Genesis 32:31 (the Mesorah has the phrase a verse later than the English). The word is not "in front of" - the phrase is "פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים" [panyim el-panyim] which literally means "sides to sides" - not "in front of" and not "face to face." Those are translator's adjustments to English - but not found in the Hebrew.

[circlecity]

"There is no such word in the Hebrew text of Genesis 32:31..."

I was referring to verse 30.