Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
- KJV Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
- BSB Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
- NKJV Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
- NASB Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly in humble intercession or grief. Their posture contrasts sharply with the people's defiance.
Overview
Facedown before the congregation, Moses and Aaron displayed humility and likely pleaded with God amid the crisis. Their submission stands against the people's proud rebellion. Moses repeatedly intercedes in Numbers, prefiguring Christ, the greater Mediator who stands between a sinful people and a holy God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Num 16:4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
- Num 16:22They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
- Num 16:45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
- Ezek 9:8While they were killing, and I was left, I fell on my face, and cried, and said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your wrath on Jerusalem?”
- Josh 5:14He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
- 1 Chr 21:16David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
- Gen 17:3Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,
- Lev 9:24Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
- Dan 10:9Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.
- 1 Kgs 18:39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”
- Josh 7:10Yahweh said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?
- Rev 4:10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying,
- Matt 26:39He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”
- Rev 7:11All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God,
- Rev 5:14The four living creatures said, “Amen!” The elders fell down and worshiped.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 14:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.