The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

and the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.

When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.

When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the lustieth among them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

The wrath of God came upon them - See Numbers 11:33.
And slew the fattest of them - literally, "slew among their fat ones." That is, The most vigorous among them were cut down; the people most eminent for rank, for influence, for strength, for valor. How far this was the natural effect of indulgence in eating, and how far it was a direct miracle, cannot now be ascertained. In either case it would equally show the divine displeasure.
And smote down - Margin, as in Hebrew, "made to bow." That is, they were made to bow in death.
The chosen men of Israel - Margin, "Young men." The idea is that of select men; men that would be chosen from among the others; men distinguished for vigor or influence. Not the aged or the feeble particularly, not those who might be naturally expected to fall, but men of strength who might be supposed to be capable of resisting the ordinary attacks of disease. God showed in this way that the judgment came directly from his hand.

The wrath of God came upon them, and slew (r) the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen [men] of Israel.
(r) Though others were not spared, yet chiefly they suffered, who trusted in their strength against God.

The wrath of God came upon them,.... Either by causing fire to come down from heaven, or by suffering them to be surfeited by excessive eating, or by sending a plague among them; see Numbers 11:33,
and slew the fattest of them; such perhaps who had been most guilty of the sin of gluttony, and had fed the most inordinately upon the flesh that was sent them; or this designs the chief among their princes and nobles, though not only them, but them as well as the common people; so the Targum,
"and slew their mighty ones:''
or the words may be rendered, "and slew them among their fatness", or "fat things" (o); while they were feeding on their feast of fat things, the fat quails, which were brought among them, in such plenty; for the quail is a very fat bird, as Kimchi observes (p):
and smote down the chosen men of Israel; or the young men, as the Targum, who were within the twentieth and fiftieth year of their age; who were chosen and fit for war within that time, as well as were the choicest for comeliness, strength, and service; or "made" them "to bow" (q) to death and the grave; whose power they could not withstand, though in the prime and vigour of youth, and while they were freely and heartily feeding upon the food they lusted after.
(o) "in opimis ipsorum", Cocceius; "inter pinguedines eorum", Michaelis. (p) In Sepher Shorashim, rad. (q) "incurvavit", Pagninus, Montanus.

slew . . . fattest--or, "among the fattest"; some of them--
chosen--the young and strong (Isaiah 40:31), and so none could resist.

Mightiest - The most healthy and strong, who probably were most desirous of this food, and fed most eagerly upon it.