Numbers 21:8 - Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Numbers 21:8" mean?
This verse from Numbers 21:8 is a pivotal and complex one within the context of the story in Numbers 21:4-9. Here's a breakdown of its meaning and significance:
The Context: The Israelites are wandering in the wilderness, complaining about the lack of food and water, and longing for the "good old days" of Egypt (despite their slavery). This grumbling angered God, who sent venomous snakes among them. Many Israelites were bitten and died. Realizing their sin, the people repented and begged Moses to intercede with God.
The Command and the Symbol: God instructs Moses to make a seraph (often translated as "fiery" or "venomous") snake of bronze and put it on a pole (or staff).
The Bronze Snake: The choice of a snake, particularly a "fiery" or "venomous" one, is significant. It directly represents the instrument of their punishment. This is a mimetic symbol – the cure is related to the cause of the affliction.
The Pole/Staff: Raising the snake on a pole makes it visible to all. It's a public act, a visible symbol of God's power and mercy.
The Promise and the Action: God promises that those who are bitten by the real snakes and look at the bronze snake will live.
"Look and Live": The act of looking at the bronze snake is crucial. It's not a magical charm or talisman. It requires an act of faith and obedience. They have to acknowledge God's power and believe in his promise for it to work.
Interpretations and Significance:
Repentance and Faith: The story emphasizes the importance of repentance for sin and faith in God's provision. The Israelites' initial complaints led to their suffering, and their subsequent plea for help led to God's solution.
A Prefigurement of Christ: In the New Testament, Jesus refers to this story in John 3:14-15: "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." Christians often interpret the bronze snake as a foreshadowing of Christ's crucifixion. Just as the Israelites had to look to the snake for physical healing, people must look to Christ in faith for spiritual healing and eternal life. The bronze snake represents Christ taking on the form of sin (being made "sin" for us, according to some interpretations).
The Paradox of Salvation: The story highlights a paradox: the instrument of their punishment becomes the means of their salvation. The very thing that was causing their death becomes the vehicle for life. This is similar to the Christian concept of Christ's suffering and death on the cross being the means of salvation for humanity.
The Power of God's Word: The effectiveness of the remedy lies not in the object itself, but in the power of God's word and promise attached to it. It emphasizes God's sovereignty and ability to use seemingly ordinary means to accomplish extraordinary things.
Later History: Interestingly, the bronze snake was kept as a relic by the Israelites for centuries. However, 2 Kings 18:4 records that King Hezekiah later destroyed it because the Israelites had begun to worship it as an idol, calling it Nehushtan. This highlights the danger of turning a symbol meant to point to God into an object of worship in itself.
In summary, Numbers 21:8 is a rich verse with multiple layers of meaning. It emphasizes the importance of repentance, faith, and obedience, while also foreshadowing the ultimate salvation offered through Jesus Christ. It illustrates God's power to turn instruments of death into instruments of life, and it warns against the dangers of idolatry and misinterpreting God's symbols.
Numbers 21:8 - Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
What does "Numbers 21:8" mean?
This verse from Numbers 21:8 is a pivotal and complex one within the context of the story in Numbers 21:4-9. Here's a breakdown of its meaning and significance:
The Context: The Israelites are wandering in the wilderness, complaining about the lack of food and water, and longing for the "good old days" of Egypt (despite their slavery). This grumbling angered God, who sent venomous snakes among them. Many Israelites were bitten and died. Realizing their sin, the people repented and begged Moses to intercede with God.
The Command and the Symbol: God instructs Moses to make a seraph (often translated as "fiery" or "venomous") snake of bronze and put it on a pole (or staff).
The Bronze Snake: The choice of a snake, particularly a "fiery" or "venomous" one, is significant. It directly represents the instrument of their punishment. This is a mimetic symbol – the cure is related to the cause of the affliction.
The Pole/Staff: Raising the snake on a pole makes it visible to all. It's a public act, a visible symbol of God's power and mercy.
The Promise and the Action: God promises that those who are bitten by the real snakes and look at the bronze snake will live.
"Look and Live": The act of looking at the bronze snake is crucial. It's not a magical charm or talisman. It requires an act of faith and obedience. They have to acknowledge God's power and believe in his promise for it to work.
Interpretations and Significance:
Repentance and Faith: The story emphasizes the importance of repentance for sin and faith in God's provision. The Israelites' initial complaints led to their suffering, and their subsequent plea for help led to God's solution.
A Prefigurement of Christ: In the New Testament, Jesus refers to this story in John 3:14-15: "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." Christians often interpret the bronze snake as a foreshadowing of Christ's crucifixion. Just as the Israelites had to look to the snake for physical healing, people must look to Christ in faith for spiritual healing and eternal life. The bronze snake represents Christ taking on the form of sin (being made "sin" for us, according to some interpretations).
The Paradox of Salvation: The story highlights a paradox: the instrument of their punishment becomes the means of their salvation. The very thing that was causing their death becomes the vehicle for life. This is similar to the Christian concept of Christ's suffering and death on the cross being the means of salvation for humanity.
The Power of God's Word: The effectiveness of the remedy lies not in the object itself, but in the power of God's word and promise attached to it. It emphasizes God's sovereignty and ability to use seemingly ordinary means to accomplish extraordinary things.
Later History: Interestingly, the bronze snake was kept as a relic by the Israelites for centuries. However, 2 Kings 18:4 records that King Hezekiah later destroyed it because the Israelites had begun to worship it as an idol, calling it Nehushtan. This highlights the danger of turning a symbol meant to point to God into an object of worship in itself.
In summary, Numbers 21:8 is a rich verse with multiple layers of meaning. It emphasizes the importance of repentance, faith, and obedience, while also foreshadowing the ultimate salvation offered through Jesus Christ. It illustrates God's power to turn instruments of death into instruments of life, and it warns against the dangers of idolatry and misinterpreting God's symbols.