Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Serpent

4 From Mount Hor ¹they set out by the way to the Red Sea, ²to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.

5 And the people ³spoke against God and against Moses, ⁴"Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and ⁵we loathe this worthless food."

6 ⁶Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and ⁷they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

7 ⁸And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. ⁹Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."

9 So ¹⁰Moses made a bronze^[a] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Numbers 21:4-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 21

This chapter gives an account of the defeat of King Arad, the Canaanite, Nu 21:1-3 of the murmurings of the children of Israel, because of difficulties in travelling round, the land of Edom, for which they were punished with fiery serpents, Nu 21:4-6 and how that upon their repentance a brazen serpent was ordered to be made, and to be erected on a pole, that whoever looked to it might live, Nu 21:7-9 and of the several journeys and stations of the children of Israel, until they came to the land of the Amorites, Nu 21:10-20, when they sent a message to Sihon their king, to desire him to grant them a passage through his country; but he refusing, they fought with him, smote him, and possessed his land, concerning which many proverbial sayings were used, Nu 21:21-32 and the chapter is concluded with the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, Nu 21:33-35.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 20:22; Numbers 33:41
• 2. Judges 11:18
• 3. Psalms 78:19
• 4. Exodus 16:3; Exodus 17:3
• 5. [Numbers 11:6]
• 6. Deuteronomy 8:15; 1 Corinthians 10:9; [Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6]
• 7. Jeremiah 8:17
• 8. Psalms 78:34; [Numbers 11:2]
• 9. [Exodus 8:8, 28; 1 Samuel 12:19; 1 Kings 13:6; Acts 8:24]
• 10. John 3:14, 15; [2 Kings 18:4]

Footnotes

• [a]. Or copper