Numbers 21:6-8

The Bronze Serpent

6 ¹The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and ²they bit the people, so that ³many people of Israel died.

7 ⁴So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; ⁵intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a ⁶fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live."

Numbers 21:6-8 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. Deuteronomy 8:15
• 2. Jeremiah 8:17
• 3. 1 Corinthians 10:9
• 4. Numbers 11:2; Psalms 78:34; Isaiah 26:16; Hosea 5:15
• 5. Exodus 8:8; 1 Samuel 12:19; Acts 8:24
• 6. Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6; John 3:14

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "Make for yourself"