The Brazen Serpent

The words

1. Arad

   Arad is the place ruled by the Canaanite king who attacks Israel and takes prisoners; Israel then vows to destroy the Canaanite cities.

   NET Bible: Numbers 21:1 (opens a new tab) · BDB: Arad (H6166) (opens a new tab) · Numbers 21:1–2 (opens a new tab)

2. Bite

   Numbers says the LORD sends fiery serpents that bite the people, and many of Israel die before Moses prays for them.

   Numbers 21:6–7 (opens a new tab)

3. Brass

   Bronze, in the NET Bible’s rendering.

   Brass is the KJV’s name for the metal Moses uses to make the serpent that is placed on a pole.

   Numbers 21:9 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Numbers 21:9 (opens a new tab)

4. Brazen

   Brazen describes Moses’s metal serpent; John’s Gospel later refers to Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness.

   Numbers 21:9 (opens a new tab) · John 3:14 (opens a new tab)

5. Discouraged

   Impatient, in the NET Bible’s rendering.

   The people become discouraged on the journey from Mount Hor around Edom, then speak against God and Moses about food and water.

   Numbers 21:4–5 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Numbers 21:4 (opens a new tab)

6. Edom

   Israel sets out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around Edom, on a journey marked by complaints.

   Did you know?

   The preceding chapter says Edom refuses Israel passage through its territory, and Israel turns away.

   Numbers 21:4–5 (opens a new tab) · Numbers 20:18–21 (opens a new tab)

7. Hormah

   Numbers describes Israel utterly destroying the Canaanites and their cities after its vow to the LORD, then naming the place Hormah.

   Numbers 21:2–3 (opens a new tab)

8. Light Bread

   Worthless food, in the NET Bible’s rendering.

   The people call their food “light bread” while accusing God and Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness.

   Numbers 21:5 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Numbers 21:5 (opens a new tab)

9. Live

   The LORD promises that everyone bitten will live when they look at the raised serpent; Moses makes the image and sets it up.

   Numbers 21:8–9 (opens a new tab)

10. Loatheth

    Feels disgust for.

    Israel says “our soul loatheth this light bread,” adding disgust at the food to its complaint against God and Moses.

    Numbers 21:5 (opens a new tab) · Webster’s 1828: lothe (opens a new tab)

11. Look

    The final sentence reports the result: when a bitten person looks at the serpent of brass, that person lives.

    Numbers 21:9 (opens a new tab)

12. Mount Hor

    Israel leaves Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, intending to go around Edom; the people grow discouraged on the route.

    Numbers 21:4 (opens a new tab)

13. Pole

    The LORD tells Moses to put the serpent on a pole and promises life to those bitten who look at it.

    Numbers 21:8–9 (opens a new tab)

14. Serpent

    Moses makes a serpent of brass and sets it on a pole after the people confess their sin and he prays for them.

    Did you know?

    Second Kings later describes Hezekiah breaking the brass serpent Moses made because Israel had been burning incense to it.

    Numbers 21:7–9 (opens a new tab) · Numbers 21:8–9 (opens a new tab) · 2 Kings 18:1–4 (opens a new tab)

15. Sinned

    The people confess speaking against the LORD and Moses, ask Moses to pray that the serpents be removed, and Moses prays for them.

    Numbers 21:7 (opens a new tab)