They 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?”
Parallel translations
- KJV And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
- BSB But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
- NKJV Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”
- NASB But they fell on their faces and said, “God, the God of the spirits of humanity, when one person sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”
- NLT But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”
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 and interceded, pleading that one man's sin should not doom the whole congregation. They appealed to God's justice and mercy.
Overview
The leaders intercede, addressing God as the God of the spirits of all flesh and pleading for the many on account of the few guilty. Their mediation reflects God's own concern for justice tempered with mercy. This intercession beautifully foreshadows Christ, who stands between God and sinners, pleading on behalf of his people (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 7:25).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Num 27:16“Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
- Zech 12:1A revelation, Yahweh’s word concerning Israel. Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says:
- Job 12:10in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
- Eccl 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Heb 12:9Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
- Gen 18:23–25Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
- Rom 5:18So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.
- Num 16:45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
- Gen 18:32He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
- Num 14:5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
- Isa 57:16For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls whom I have made.
- 2 Sam 24:17David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”
- 2 Sam 24:1Again Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, “Go, count Israel and Judah.”
- Num 16:4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
- 1 Cor 13:7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- Josh 7:1–26But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted things; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against the children of Israel.
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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 16:22 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
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