Matthew Henry on Numbers 16:12-22
Here is, I. The insolence of Dathan and Abiram, and their treasonable remonstrance. Moses had heard what Korah had to say, and had answered it; now he summons Dathan and Abiram to bring in their complaints (Num 16:12); but they would not obey his summons, either because they could not for shame say that to his face which they were resolved to say, and then it is an instance of some remains of modesty in them; or, rather, because they would not so far own his authority, and then it is an instance of the highest degree of impudence. They spoke the language of Pharaoh himself, who set Moses at defiance, but they forgot how dearly he paid for it. Had not their heads been wretchedly heated, and t…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 16:22
they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh--The benevolent importunity of their prayer was the more remarkable that the intercession was made for their enemies.
John Gill on 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; a…
Read the whole note in the consoleJohn Calvin on Numbers 16:22-23
O God, the God of the, spirits of all flesh. The old interpreter renders the first 'l, el, as an adjective, in which some others have followed him; [93] but, in my opinion, the name of God is rather repeated by way of adding force to the sentence. It does not, however, so clearly appear to me why all render the word flesh, in the genitive case. But, since I do not think that the l, lamed, is superfluous here, but that it is used for v, beth, as often elsewhere, I have accurately expressed the sense by my translation, "in all flesh." [94] There is no question but that Moses applies this epithet to God in connection with the present matter; as if he desired to induce God to preserve His own wo…
