Numbers 21:9

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

And Moses {H4872} made {H6213} a serpent {H5175} of brass {H5178}, and put {H7760} it upon a pole {H5251}, and it came to pass, that if a serpent {H5175} had bitten {H5391} any man {H376}, when he beheld {H5027} the serpent {H5175} of brass {H5178}, he lived {H2425}.

Moshe made a bronze snake and put it on the pole; if a snake had bitten someone, then, when he looked toward the bronze snake, he stayed alive.

So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.

Commentary

Context

Numbers 21:9 concludes a significant episode in the Israelites' wilderness journey. Immediately preceding this verse, the people had grown impatient and spoke against God and Moses, complaining about the lack of food and water after leaving Mount Hor (Numbers 21:4-5). As a divine judgment for their rebellion and ingratitude, the Lord sent "fiery serpents" among them, which bit the people, causing many to die (Numbers 21:6). When the people repented and pleaded with Moses to intercede, God commanded Moses to make a serpent of brass and put it on a pole, promising that whoever looked at it would live (Numbers 21:8). This verse details the immediate fulfillment of that command and the miraculous healing that followed.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Mercy: The sending of the fiery serpents was a severe consequence for the Israelites' sin, demonstrating God's holiness and justice. However, His immediate provision for healing through the bronze serpent illustrates His profound mercy and willingness to save those who turn to Him in repentance.
  • Faith and Obedience: Healing was not inherent in the brass serpent itself, but in the act of looking at it in faith, in direct obedience to God's specific command. This required a humble and trusting heart from the afflicted Israelites.
  • Foreshadowing of Christ: This event is a profound type, or foreshadowing, of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself explicitly referenced this incident in the New Testament, drawing a direct parallel between the serpent lifted up in the wilderness and His own crucifixion and the salvation it offers to all who believe. Just as the Israelites looked to the serpent for physical life, humanity looks to Christ for eternal spiritual life.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "serpent of brass" translates the Hebrew nekhash nekhoshet (ื ึฐื—ึทืฉื ื ึฐื—ึนืฉืึถืช). There's a deliberate wordplay here: nakash (serpent) and nekhoshet (bronze/brass). The "fiery serpents" mentioned earlier in the chapter are referred to by the Hebrew word seraphim, which means "burning ones," likely referring to the burning sensation of their venom or their fiery appearance. The choice of bronze for the symbolic serpent might also relate to its resistance to decay, symbolizing the enduring nature of God's provision, or perhaps the hardness associated with judgment.

Practical Application

The story of the bronze serpent offers timeless spiritual lessons:

  • Salvation by Grace Through Faith: Just as the Israelites were saved by a simple act of looking, we are saved by looking to Jesus Christ in faith, trusting in His completed work on the cross for our sins. Our salvation is not earned through works, but received as a gift. See Ephesians 2:8-9.
  • Simplicity of God's Provision: God often provides salvation and healing in ways that seem counterintuitive or too simple to human reasoning. The key is humble obedience to His instruction.
  • Cure for Sin's Venom: The physical venom of the serpents parallels the spiritual "venom" of sin, which brings death. The bronze serpent pointed to the ultimate antidote: looking to Jesus, who took on the likeness of sinful flesh (without sin) to conquer sin and death.
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Cross-References

  • John 3:14 (21 votes)

    And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

  • John 3:15 (21 votes)

    That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  • Hebrews 12:2 (18 votes)

    Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

  • 2 Kings 18:4 (17 votes)

    He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

  • John 6:40 (17 votes)

    And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

  • John 12:32 (12 votes)

    And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.

  • Isaiah 45:22 (10 votes)

    Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.