Numbers 16:22 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?
Numbers 16:22 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?"
Numbers 16:22 niv
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?"
Numbers 16:22 esv
And they fell on their faces and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?"
Numbers 16:22 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?"
Numbers 16 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:7 | ...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life... | God is the source of all life and spirit. |
| Gen 7:22 | everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life died. | God controls life's breath, even unto judgment. |
| Gen 18:23-32 | Abraham pleads with God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked... | Precedent for intercession appealing to God's discrimination. |
| Deut 24:16 | Fathers shall not be put to death for their children... | Principle of individual accountability in Israelite law. |
| Job 12:10 | In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. | God's absolute sovereignty over all life and spirits. |
| Ps 7:9 | Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end... | God tests the minds and hearts. |
| Ps 66:18 | If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. | God knows the heart; intercession depends on righteousness. |
| Ps 106:23 | He would have destroyed them, had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him... | Moses as intercessor averting God's wrath. |
| Prov 16:2 | All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits. | God, as the God of spirits, knows true motives. |
| Isa 42:5 | He who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it. | God is the source of breath and spirit to all humanity. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | The heart is deceitful above all things... I the LORD search the heart... | God's unique ability to discern individual hearts. |
| Eze 18:4 | The soul who sins shall die... | Affirmation of individual accountability before God. |
| Eze 18:20 | The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father... | Explicit statement of individual, not corporate, culpability for sin. |
| Zech 12:1 | ...who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him. | God as the creator and former of human spirits. |
| Mal 2:15 | And what was the one God doing when He made them? He was seeking a godly offspring. | God is seeking a "godly offspring", implies concern for individual righteousness. |
| Acts 17:25 | ...nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. | God is the ultimate provider of life and breath for all. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death... | Sin has direct, individual consequences. |
| Rom 8:27 | He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit... | God searches the heart and knows our inner beings. |
| Heb 12:9 | ...we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us... shall we not much more readily be subject to the Father of spirits...? | God is identified as "the Father of spirits," implying His ultimate authority and discipline over our spiritual essence. |
| Jas 1:15 | Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | Sin is a personal choice leading to death. |
| 1 Pet 4:6 | For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead... | God has authority over the spirits even of the dead, implying a just judgment. |
Numbers 16 verses
Numbers 16 22 Meaning
Numbers 16:22 depicts Moses and Aaron prostrate before God, pleading for the Israelite congregation. Their plea is rooted in God's nature as the sovereign "God of the spirits of all flesh," asking that His wrath not fall upon the entire assembly due to the rebellion of a few individuals. It highlights their role as intercessors, God's intimate knowledge of human hearts, and His righteous justice that distinguishes between the innocent and the guilty.
Numbers 16 22 Context
Numbers chapter 16 describes the formidable rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron. Korah, a Levite, challenges the exclusive Aaronic priesthood, while Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites, reject Moses' leadership altogether. They accuse Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the "congregation, all of whom are holy." This is a direct affront to God's divinely established order and the authority He had personally vested in Moses and Aaron. The verse itself follows God's swift instruction to Moses and Aaron to "separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." It portrays Moses and Aaron's immediate response to God's impending judgment, demonstrating their spiritual leadership, love for the people, and profound understanding of God's character. They intercede to avert total destruction, based on the principle of individual culpability.
Numbers 16 22 Word analysis
- And they fell upon their faces: This posture (Hebrew: vayippelu al pneihem) signifies profound humility, deep reverence, and fervent supplication before divine authority. It is a posture of worship, intense prayer, and total submission, often adopted in moments of national crisis or immediate divine encounter.
- and said: Marks the beginning of their powerful plea to God.
- O God: (Hebrew: El) A mighty and singular name for God, emphasizing His power, strength, and uniqueness as the supreme divine being. It conveys authority and absolute capability.
- the God of the spirits: (Hebrew: Elohei ha-ruchot) This specific appellation is crucial. It underscores God's absolute sovereignty not only over life (ruach can mean "breath" or "spirit") but particularly over the innermost essence, thoughts, motivations, and spiritual beings of all humanity. He is the ultimate source and controller of every individual's spirit and life force. It implies intimate knowledge of each person's heart and moral standing.
- of all flesh: (Hebrew: l'chol basar) Refers to humanity in its entirety, encompassing all individuals, tribes, and nations. It emphasizes the physical, mortal, and dependent nature of humanity before their Creator. Coupled with "spirits," it paints a picture of God's comprehensive control over both the spiritual and physical aspects of every person.
- Shall one man sin, and will You be angry with all the congregation? This is a rhetorical question that powerfully appeals to God's justice and discerning nature.
- one man sin: Refers to Korah, and by extension, Dathan and Abiram and their closest associates—the leaders and instigators of the rebellion, whose sin was conscious, willful defiance against God's appointed authority.
- all the congregation: The general Israelite assembly, many of whom were swayed, confused, or merely present, not necessarily complicit in the core wickedness or intentional rebellion.
- will You be angry: Highlights the impending divine wrath and judgment.
- This phrase acts as a polemic against the ancient Near Eastern common concept of indiscriminate corporate punishment for sins, arguing instead for God's precise and individual justice, based on His knowledge of each heart and spirit.
Numbers 16 22 Bonus section
The phrase "God of the spirits of all flesh" is unique to Moses and Aaron in the Pentateuch (occurring again in Num 27:16). This specific divine title implicitly acknowledges God's omniscience and discernment of individual intent and motive. In ancient cultures, group identity often superseded individual responsibility, with collective punishment for familial or tribal transgressions being common. Moses and Aaron's plea challenges this worldly view by appealing to God's higher, righteous standard of judgment, which carefully distinguishes individual guilt. This title also foreshadows God's judgment over all humanity in the End Times, when He, who knows every spirit, will dispense perfect justice. The instance reinforces that even in severe judgments, God always acts with precision, even if the visible consequences sometimes extend to others (as seen when the earth swallowed the families of the main rebels, who were explicitly implicated).
Numbers 16 22 Commentary
Numbers 16:22 encapsulates the essence of true leadership, divine justice, and God's discerning nature. As God's wrath looms, Moses and Aaron fall on their faces, not in self-preservation, but as selfless mediators for the very people who questioned them. Their plea, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will You be angry with all the congregation?" is profoundly theological. They appeal to God's perfect knowledge of individual hearts, distinguishing the willful, instigating rebels from the misled or merely passive congregation. They assert that God, as the "God of spirits," perceives true guilt and motive, and therefore will not indiscriminately punish the innocent with the wicked. This verse is a powerful testament to God's just character, highlighting His ability to judge individuals based on their own actions and heart condition, rather than blanket collective punishment. It also showcases the prophetic intercessory role, echoing later the unique intercession of Christ.