Translations
KJVPrimary
King James VersionAnd 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?
F.O.G.Secondary
The F.O.GThey fell upon their faces and cried out: 'O Elohim, Elohim of the spirits of all flesh—if one man has sinned, will You be wrathful against the whole community?'
F.O.G.M.
F.O.G MessageMoses and Aaron fell facedown and pleaded: 'O God, You are the God over the spirit of every living person—when one man sins, will You pour out Your wrath on the entire community?'
BSB
Berean Standard BibleBut 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?”
Footnotes
The divine title *El Elohei ha-ruchot le-khol-basar* ('God of the spirits of all flesh') appears only here and in Num. 27:16, both times in contexts of leadership succession and community preservation. It asserts YHWH's sovereignty over the *ruach* (spirit/breath) that animates every human being—a claim that the fate of the many cannot be swept away by the sin of the few without divine intentionality. Moses and Aaron model intercessory theology: they do not plead their own innocence but argue for divine proportion. FOG retains *Elohim* and the full title; FOG Message draws out its relational and moral weight.
