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?”
22. O God, the God of the, spirits of all flesh. The old interpreter renders the first אל, el, as an adjective, in which some others have followed him; In the clause under consideration, אל, El, is immediately followed by אלהי, Elohey, the form given to Elohim, when it is to be used in connection with the next word.
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...
Commenting on Numbers 16:12-22
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...