The Meaning of Numbers 16:22 Explained

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?

YLT: and they fall on their faces, and say, 'God, God of the spirits of all flesh -- the one man sinneth, and against all the company Thou art wroth!'

Darby: And they fell on their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh! shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with the whole assembly?

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Numbers 16:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 16:20-35 - Divine Judgment Upon The Rebels
It was wise of Moses not to attempt to vindicate himself, but to leave God to maintain His cause. He is not slow to undertake the vindication of those who entrust their reputation with Him. To take the sword is to perish by the sword. "Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt thee to inherit the land."
The doom of Korah and his fellow-conspirators was very terrible; but if they had been spared, the whole camp would have been infected, and God's purposes frustrated. Those who suffer from the bubonic plague must be instantly separated from their fellows, for the sake of society! Remember, as Jude says, that the pit still devours, Judges 1:11. In these last days of the present age, and in view of the terrible records of this chapter, we may well ponder the summons of Revelation 18:4. The congregation was spared, because of the divine compassion of which Moses had a true conception. His prayer only reflected the divine thought, Numbers 16:22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 16

1  The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
23  Moses separates the people from the rebels' tents
31  The earth swallows up Korah, and a fire consumes others
36  The censers are reserved to holy use
41  14,700 are slain by a plague, for murmuring against Moses and Aaron
46  Aaron by incense stays the plague

What do the individual words in Numbers 16:22 mean?

And they fell on their faces and said God the God of the spirits of all flesh shall man one sin and with all the congregation You be angry -
וַיִּפְּל֤וּ עַל־ פְּנֵיהֶם֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֕ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָרוּחֹ֖ת לְכָל־ בָּשָׂ֑ר הָאִ֤ישׁ אֶחָד֙ יֶחֱטָ֔א וְעַ֥ל כָּל־ ؟ הָעֵדָ֖ה תִּקְצֹֽף פ

וַיִּפְּל֤וּ  And  they  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
פְּנֵיהֶם֙  their  faces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֕ל  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָרוּחֹ֖ת  of  the  spirits 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
לְכָל־  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בָּשָׂ֑ר  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
הָאִ֤ישׁ  shall  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָד֙  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
יֶחֱטָ֔א  sin 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
וְעַ֥ל  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
؟ הָעֵדָ֖ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
תִּקְצֹֽף  You  be  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָצַף  
Sense: to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation