Numbers 21:8

Myles Coverdale Bible

Then sayde the LORDE vnto Moses: Make the a brasen serpente, and set it vp for a token. Who so euer is bytten, and loketh vpon it, shal lyue.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to Moshe, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to Moses, "Make for yourself a snake and place it on a pole. When anyone is bitten and looks at it, that person will live."

English Standard Version
And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."

New Century Version
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a bronze snake, and put it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, that person will live."

New English Translation
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live."

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten will live when he looks at it."

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said vnto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it vp for a signe, that as many as are bitten, may looke vpon it, and liue.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; and it will be that everyone who is bitten and looks at it, will live."

Contemporary English Version
and the Lord answered, "Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and won't die."

Complete Jewish Bible
and Adonai answered Moshe: "Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live."

Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to Moses, Make thee a fiery [serpent], and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. If anyone is bitten by a snake, that person should look at the bronze snake on the pole. Then that person will not die."

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass that every one who is bitten by a serpent, when he looks upon it, shall live.

Good News Translation
Then the Lord told Moses to make a metal snake and put it on a pole, so that anyone who was bitten could look at it and be healed.

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.”

Literal Translation
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, Make yourself a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that when anyone is bitten, when he sees it, he shall live.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to Moses, Make an image of a snake and put it on a rod, and anyone who has been wounded by the snakes, looking on it will be made well.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses: Make thee a fierie serpent, and set it vp vpon a pole: that as many as are bitten may loke vpon it, and lyue.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 seeth it, shall live.'

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto Moses, Make thee a fierie serpent, and set it vpon a pole: and it shall come to passe, that euery one that is bitten, when hee looketh vpon it, shall liue.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal-staff; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises preiede for the puple; and the Lord seide to hym, Make thou a serpent of bras, and sette thou it for a signe; he that is smytun and biholdith it, schal lyue.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Make for thee a burning [serpent], and set it on an ensign; and it hath been, every one who is bitten and hath seen it -- he hath lived.

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to Moses, You make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to 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.

World English Bible
Yahweh said to Moses, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."

New Living Translation
Then the Lord told him, "Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!"

New Life Bible
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a special snake and put it up on a long piece of wood. Everyone who is bitten will live when he looks at it."

New Revised Standard
And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Make thee a like serpent, and put it upon standard, - and it shall come to pass, that, any one who is bitten, as soon as he seeth it, shall live.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to him: Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.

Revised Standard Version
And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."

THE MESSAGE
God said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it on a flagpole: Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live."

Contextual Overview

⁴ Then departed they fro mount Hor on ye waye towarde the reed see, that they might go aboute the lande of the Edomites. And the soules of the people faynted by the waie ⁵ and they spake agaynst God and agaynst Moses: Wherfore hast thou brought vs out of the lande of Egipte, to slaye vs in the wildernesse? For here is nether bred ner water, and oure soule lotheth this lighte meate. ⁶ Than sent the LORDE fyrie serpentes amonge the people, which bote the peple, so that there dyed moch people in Israel. ⁷ The came they vnto Moses, and sayde: We haue synned, because we haue spoken agaynst the LORDE and agaynst the. Praye thou vnto the LORDE, that he take awaye the serpentes from vs. And Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ Then sayde the LORDE vnto Moses: Make the a brasen serpente, and set it vp for a token. Who so euer is bytten, and loketh vpon it, shal lyue. ⁹ Then made Moses a serpent of brasse, and set it vp for a token: and whan a serpent had bytten eny man, he behelde the brasen serpente, and recouered.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 106:43-45, Psalms 145:8

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 18:4 - the brazen serpent Psalms 107:20 - healed Isaiah 45:22 - Look Luke 6:19 - sought Luke 24:44 - in the law John 5:46 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
Then compelled he them sore: and they turned in vnto him, and came in to his house. And he made them a feast, and baked swete cakes, and they ate.

Genesis 26:30
Then Isaac made them a feast, and they ate and dronke.

Genesis 29:22
The Laban bad all the people of that place, and made a mariage.

Genesis 40:20
And vpon the thirde daye it came to passe, that Pharao helde his byrth daye, and made a feast vnto all his seruauntes, and toke the chefe butlar and the chefe baker before all his seruauntes,

Judges 14:10
And whan his father came downe to the woman, Samson made a feast there, as the yonge men vsed to do.

Judges 14:12
Samson sayde vnto them: I wil expresse a darke sentence vnto you, yf ye expounde me the same with in these seuen dayes of the feast, I wyll geue you thirtye shertes, and thirtie chaunge of raymente.

1 Samuel 1:22
Anna wente not vp, but sayde vnto hir hußbande: (I wil not go vp) tyll ye childe be weened: then will I brynge him, that he maye appeare before the LORDE, and cotynue there for euer.

1 Samuel 25:36
But whan Abigail came to Nabal, beholde, he had prepared a feast in his house like a kynges feast, and his hert was mery, for he was very dronken. And she tolde him nothinge, nether small ner greate vntyll ye cleare mornynge.

2 Samuel 3:20
Now whan Abner came to Hebron vnto Dauid, and twety men with him, Dauid made them a feast.

1 Kings 3:15
And whan Salomon awaked, beholde, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusale, and stode before the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt, and offred burntofferynges, and healthofferinges, and made a greate feast vnto his seruauntes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto Moses,.... Out of the cloud; or, it may be, Moses went into the sanctuary, and there prayed, and the Lord answered him from between the cherubim:

make them a fiery serpent; not a real one, but the likeness of one, one that should very much resemble the fiery serpents Israel had been bitten with:

and set it upon a pole; a standard, banner, or ensign, as the word signifies; perhaps meaning one of the poles on which their ensigns were carried: the Targum of Jonathan renders it, on an high place, that so it might be seen by all in the camp:

and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live; which is very wonderful, that by looking to the figure of a serpent, men should be cured of the bites of real ones, and which bites were deadly; the virtue of healing could not come from the figure, but from God, who appointed it to be made, the Targum of Jonathan adds, that one bitten should live,

"if he directed his heart to the Word of the Lord,''

even to that divine Logos or Word of God, whose lifting up was figured hereby; see John 3:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Make thee a fiery serpent - i. e. a serpent resembling in appearance the reptiles which attacked the people. The resemblance was of the essence of the symbolism (compare 1 Samuel 6:5). As the brass serpent represented the instrument of their chastisement, so the looking unto it at God’s word denoted acknowledgment of their sin, longing for deliverance from its penalty, and faith in the means appointed by God for healing. In the serpent of brass, harmless itself, but made in the image of the creature that is accursed above others Genesis 3:14, the Christian fathers rightly see a figure of Him John 3:14-15 who though “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” Hebrews 7:26, was yet “made sin” 2 Corinthians 5:21, and “made a curse for us” Galatians 3:13. And the eye of faith fixed on Him beholds the manifestation at once of the deserts of sin, of its punishment imminent and deprecated, and of the method of its remission devised by God Himself.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 21:8. Make thee a fiery serpent — Literally, make thee a seraph.

And put it upon a pole — על נס al nes, upon a standard or ensign.