Numbers 21: Fiery serpent on a pole in the wilderness

This page was combined from several other pages and needs to be reorganized.

There are some modern symbols related to the healing snake of the wilderness.

Historically, the single snake on the rod of Aesculapius became a sign of healing:

Nurses have adopted this symbol healing as a symbol of their profession.

Did the Hebrews get the idea of the healing snake from the Egyptians?

Did the idea of a healing snake come from this strange situation in the desert?

Are there other explanations?

The double snake and the caduceus is a symbol of travel (from the wings) and commerce and is associated with and carried by the Greek god Hermes.

Doctors have adopted this symbol of commerce as a symbol of their profession.

Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath as a moral obligation to put the needs of the patient above all else.

Neither insurance companies, nor the government, take this oath.

Does that concern you?

Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. [kjv]

και απεστειλεν κυριος εις τον λαον τους οφεις τους θανατουντας και εδακνον τον λαον και απεθανεν λαος πολυς των υιων ισραηλ [lxx]

What is the plague? Are there deadly, fiery serpents in your life? After the people grumbled in the desert, the following happened.

21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. [kjv]

και παραγενομενος ο λαος προς μωυσην ελεγον οτι ημαρτομεν οτι κατελαλησαμεν κατα του κυριου και κατα σου ευξαι ουν προς κυριον και αφελετω αφ ημων τον οφιν και ηυξατο μωυσης προς κυριον περι του λαου [lxx]

God gave Moses a rather strange solution to save people from a plague of serpents in the wilderness/desert.

What is sin? What does the serpent represent?

Numbers 21:6

All

KJV: And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Hebrew: וישלח יהוה בעם את הנחשים השרפים וינשכו את העם וימת עם רב מישראל׃

Greek: και απεστειλεν κυριος εις τον λαον τους οφεις τους θανατουντας και εδακνον τον λαον και απεθανεν λαος πολυς των υιων ισραηλ

Latin: quam ob rem misit Dominus in populum ignitos serpentes ad quorum plagas et mortes plurimorum

Slavonic: И посла Господь на люди змиев умерщвляющих, и угрызаху людий: и умроша люди мнози от сынов Израилевых.

Why does the Latin Vulgate have "ignitos" as "fiery" (in the KJV (King James Version)) serpents but the Greek LXX (Septuagint) has «θανατουντας» as "deadly" serpents?

Numbers 21:7

All

KJV: Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Hebrew: ויבא העם אל משה ויאמרו חטאנו כי דברנו ביהוה ובך התפלל אל יהוה ויסר מעלינו את הנחש ויתפלל משה בעד העם׃

Greek: και παραγενομενος ο λαος προς μωυσην ελεγον οτι ημαρτομεν οτι κατελαλησαμεν κατα του κυριου και κατα σου ευξαι ουν προς κυριον και αφελετω αφ ημων τον οφιν και ηυξατο μωυσης προς κυριον περι του λαου

Latin: venerunt ad Mosen atque dixerunt peccavimus quia locuti sumus contra Dominum et te ora ut tollat a nobis serpentes oravit Moses pro populo

What does the serpent represent? Go back to Genesis.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [kjv]

ο δε οφις ην φρονιμωτατος παντων των θηριων των επι της γης ων εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι τι οτι ειπεν ο θεος ου μη φαγητε απο παντος ξυλου του εν τω παραδεισω [lxx]

Genesis 3:1

All

KJV: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Hebrew: והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה אשר עשה יהוה אלהים ויאמר אל האשה אף כי אמר אלהים לא תאכלו מכל עץ הגן׃

Greek: ο δε οφις ην φρονιμωτατος παντων των θηριων των επι της γης ων εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι τι οτι ειπεν ο θεος ου μη φαγητε απο παντος ξυλου του εν τω παραδεισω

Latin: sed et serpens erat callidior cunctis animantibus terrae quae fecerat Dominus Deus qui dixit ad mulierem cur praecepit vobis Deus ut non comederetis de omni ligno paradisi

Luther: Und die Schlange war listiger denn alle Tiere auf dem Felde, die Gott der Herr gemacht hatte, und sprach zu dem Weibe: Ja, sollte Gott gesagt haben: Ihr sollt nicht essen von allerlei Bäumen im Garten.

Slavonic: Змий же бе мудрейший всех зверей сущих на земли, ихже сотвори Господь Бог. И рече змий жене: что яко рече Бог: да не ясте от всякаго древа райскаго?

Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. [kjv]

και ειπεν κυριος προς μωυσην ποιησον σεαυτω οφιν και θες αυτον επι σημειου και εσται εαν δακη οφις ανθρωπον πας ο δεδηγμενος ιδων αυτον ζησεται [lxx]

What does the "serpent" represent? What does the "pole" represent?

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [kjv]

και καθως μωυσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου [gnt]

3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. [kjv]

ινα πας ο πιστευων εν αυτω εχη ζωην αιωνιον [gnt]

Numbers 21:8

All

KJV: And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Hebrew: ויאמר יהוה אל משה עשה לך שרף ושים אתו על נס והיה כל הנשוך וראה אתו וחי׃

Greek: και ειπεν κυριος προς μωυσην ποιησον σεαυτω οφιν και θες αυτον επι σημειου και εσται εαν δακη οφις ανθρωπον πας ο δεδηγμενος ιδων αυτον ζησεται

John 3:14

All

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

Greek: και καθως μωσης μωυσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου

John 3:15

All

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

Greek: ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εν αυτω εχη ζωην αιωνιον

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. [kjv]

και εποιησεν μωυσης οφιν χαλκουν και εστησεν αυτον επι σημειου και εγενετο οταν εδακνεν οφις ανθρωπον και επεβλεψεν επι τον οφιν τον χαλκουν και εζη [lxx]

How might that pole with the serpent have appeared? How would one keep the serpent from falling off the pole?

What does brass represent? Why would just looking at a serpent on a pole would cause a person bitten by the serpent to be cured and live?

Numbers 21:9

All

KJV: 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.

Hebrew: ויעש משה נחש נחשת וישמהו על הנס והיה אם נשך הנחש את איש והביט אל נחש הנחשת וחי׃

Greek: και εποιησεν μωυσης οφιν χαλκουν και εστησεν αυτον επι σημειου και εγενετο οταν εδακνεν οφις ανθρωπον και επεβλεψεν επι τον οφιν τον χαλκουν και εζη

People like to venerate and worship created objects. Let us go forward about 800 years to the time of Hezekiah. What happened to that serpent and pole of brass in the Wilderness? Hezekiah was considered a good king.

2 Kings 18:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. [kjv]

18:4 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. [kjv]

The people had worshiped the created serpent rather than the creator who saved them.

2 Kings 18:3

All

KJV: And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

Hebrew: ויעש הישר בעיני יהוה ככל אשר עשה דוד אביו׃

Greek: και εποιησεν το ευθες εν οφθαλμοις κυριου κατα παντα οσα εποιησεν δαυιδ ο πατηρ αυτου

2 Kings 18:4

All

KJV: 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.

Hebrew: הוא הסיר את הבמות ושבר את המצבת וכרת את האשרה וכתת נחש הנחשת אשר עשה משה כי עד הימים ההמה היו בני ישראל מקטרים לו ויקרא לו נחשתן׃

Greek: αυτος εξηρεν τα υψηλα και συνετριψεν πασας τας στηλας και εξωλεθρευσεν τα αλση και τον οφιν τον χαλκουν ον εποιησεν μωυσης οτι εως των ημερων εκεινων ησαν οι υιοι ισραηλ θυμιωντες αυτω και εκαλεσεν αυτον νεεσθαν