from נְחֹשֶׁת; something made of copper, i.e. the copper serpent of the Desert; Nehushtan.
Transliteration:Nᵉchushtân
Pronunciation:nekh-oosh-tawn'
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The word "Nehushtan" (נְחֻשְׁתָּן, `{{H5180}}`) is a proper noun derived from the Hebrew term "nechoshet" (נְחֹשֶׁת, `{{H5178}}`), meaning "copper" or "bronze." The suffix "-tan" in this context likely functions as a diminutive or a specific designator, rendering the full name as "the bronze thing" or "the mere piece of bronze." This etymological connection emphasizes its material composition. Its semantic range is highly restricted, referring exclusively to the bronze serpent made by Moses in the wilderness, which later became an object of idolatrous worship. It is not a general term for any bronze object, but a unique identifier for this specific artifact.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The term "Nehushtan" appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in [[2 Kings 18:4]]. However, the object it names is first introduced in [[Numbers 21:8-9]]. In this foundational narrative, the Israelites, having grumbled against God and Moses, are afflicted by a plague of venomous serpents. God commands Moses to fashion a "fiery serpent" (נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף, *nachash saraph*) of bronze and set it on a pole. The divine instruction was that anyone bitten, upon looking at this bronze serpent, would live. This act was a miraculous intervention, a provision of divine healing contingent upon an act of faith.
Centuries later, during the righteous reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, the bronze serpent resurfaces in [[2 Kings 18:4]]. Hezekiah is praised for his sweeping religious reforms, which included the removal of high places, the breaking of sacred pillars, and the cutting down of Asherah poles. Crucially, the text states, "He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan." This passage reveals that an object originally commissioned by God for a salvific purpose had, over time, degenerated into an idol receiving cultic worship. The act of "breaking in pieces" (וַיְכַתֵּת) signifies a decisive and complete destruction of a profane object, underscoring Hezekiah's zeal for pure monotheistic worship. The giving of the name "Nehushtan" to it at this point, perhaps as a dismissive label, highlights its reduction from a sacred symbol to a mere piece of metal in the eyes of the reformers.
### Related Words & Concepts
* **נָחָשׁ (nachash, `{{H5175}}`):** "Serpent" or "snake." This is the creature that brought both judgment (the fiery serpents) and the means of salvation (the bronze serpent) in the wilderness narrative. The dual nature of the serpent in this context is significant.
* **נְחֹשֶׁת (nechoshet, `{{H5178}}`):** "Copper" or "bronze." This is the material from which Nehushtan was fashioned, emphasizing its earthly, created nature, which contrasts sharply with its divine purpose and later misuse.
* **Idolatry:** The primary concept associated with Nehushtan in 2 Kings is idolatry. The transformation of a divinely ordained instrument into an object of worship illustrates the pervasive human temptation to venerate the created rather than the Creator. The "burning incense to it" (וַיְקַטְּרוּ לוֹ) signifies a clear act of cultic devotion, a practice reserved solely for Yahweh.
* **Divine Judgment and Healing:** The initial context in Numbers links Nehushtan to God's judgment upon the Israelites' sin (the venomous serpents) and His gracious provision for healing through a specific, faith-based action.
* **Typology:** Most profoundly, Nehushtan serves as a powerful Old Testament "type" or prefigurement of Jesus Christ. In [[John 3:14-15]], Jesus himself declares, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." This establishes a direct theological parallel between the physical healing offered by looking at the bronze serpent and the spiritual and eternal life offered by believing in the crucified Christ.
### Theological Significance
The narrative of Nehushtan encapsulates several profound theological truths, tracing a trajectory from divine command to human corruption and ultimately to Christological fulfillment.
Firstly, it demonstrates **God's sovereign power over life and death**, and His unique methods of salvation. In the wilderness, God provided a counter-intuitive remedy for a deadly plague: looking at an image of the very creature causing death. This act required obedient faith, highlighting that salvation is a gift received by grace through belief.
Secondly, Nehushtan serves as a stark warning against the **dangers of idolatry**. What began as a divinely sanctioned symbol of salvation became, over centuries, an object of superstitious veneration. Hezekiah's righteous act of destroying Nehushtan underscores the imperative to purge anything that distracts from or competes with the exclusive worship of Yahweh, regardless of its historical significance or former sacred purpose. It illustrates that even good things, when elevated to a position of ultimate devotion, become idols.
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Nehushtan holds immense **Christological significance**. Jesus's own words in John 3 transform the wilderness event into a profound foreshadowing of His crucifixion. Just as the bronze serpent was "lifted up" to bring physical life to those dying from serpent bites, so too was the Son of Man "lifted up" on the cross to bring eternal life to all who believe, delivering them from the deadly venom of sin. This typology reveals God's consistent plan of salvation, culminating in Christ, the ultimate means of healing and life.
### Summary
Nehushtan (נְחֻשְׁתָּן, `{{H5180}}`) is the specific name, meaning "the bronze thing," given to the bronze serpent crafted by Moses in the wilderness. As recorded in [[Numbers 21:8-9]], this artifact was divinely commissioned to provide miraculous healing for Israelites afflicted by venomous serpents, requiring an act of faith to look upon it. However, by the time of King Hezekiah, centuries later, this sacred object had tragically devolved into an idol, with the people burning incense to it. King Hezekiah, in his zealous reforms, righteously "broke in pieces" Nehushtan, as detailed in [[2 Kings 18:4]], thereby purging idolatry from Judah. Theologically, Nehushtan powerfully illustrates God's unique provision for salvation, serves as a potent warning against the insidious nature of idolatry, and most profoundly, functions as a direct Old Testament type of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, as explained by Jesus himself in [[John 3:14-15]]. Its journey from divine symbol to idol, and then to a prophetic foreshadowing of the Savior, makes Nehushtan a rich and multifaceted concept in biblical thought.
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