Numbers 16:22

22 The which fell down low upon their face(s), and said, Most strong God of the spirits of all flesh, whether thy wrath shall be fierce against all men, for one man sinneth?

Numbers 16:22 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:22

And they fell upon their faces
That is, Moses and Aaron, in order to deprecate the wrath of God, and beseech him to avert the threatened judgment; and so the Targum of Jonathan has it,

``they bowed themselves in prayer upon their faces;''
and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh;
the Maker of all men, as of their bodies, which are flesh, so of their souls or spirits, which are immaterial and immortal; hence he is called "the Father of spirits", ( Hebrews 12:9 ) , who, as the Targum, puts the spirit in the bodies of men; or, as others, who knows the spirits of men; their thoughts, as Jarchi, the inward frames and dispositions of their minds; who knows who have sinned, and who not; and whether their sins proceed from weakness, and being misled, or whether from a malevolent disposition, presumption, and self-will: shall one man sin:
meaning Korah, who was the ringleader: and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
who, through ignorance and weakness, and by artifice and imposition, are drawn in to join with him; the plea is much the same with that of Abraham, ( Genesis 18:25 ) .

Numbers 16:22 In-Context

20 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,
21 Be ye separated from the midst of this congregation, that I lose them suddenly. (Be ye set apart from the midst of this company, or of these people, so that I can quickly destroy them.)
22 The which fell down low upon their face(s), and said, Most strong God of the spirits of all flesh, whether thy wrath shall be fierce against all men, for one man sinneth?
23 And the Lord said to Moses,
24 Command thou to all the people, that it be separated from the tabernacles of Korah, and of Dathan, and of Abiram. (Command thou to all the people, that they move away from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.