Berean Standard Bible
9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
The Pioneer Translation RenderingRendered from the original Hebrew
Numbers 21:9
The Bronze Snake on the Pole
Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on a pole. And it was that if a serpent bit a man and he looked toward the bronze serpent, he lived.
The Hebrew plays on the words *nachash* (serpent) and *nechoshet* (bronze/copper), creating a sonic link between the creature and its metal likeness. *Nes* is rendered "pole" in its primary sense of a raised standard or staff. The verb *vayehi* ("and it was") introduces the conditional outcome as a plain narrative statement, preserved without softening.
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King James Version
9And 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.
Translation for Translators
T4T was designed as a tool for Bible translators, not as a devotional text. It makes implicit meaning explicit and flags figurative language with abbreviations. Gold [brackets] indicate translation notes. ◄Triangles► mark alternative renderings.Read more about how to read T4T →9So Moses/I made a snake from bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Then, when those who had been bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!
Berean Standard Bible
King James Version
9
So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
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.
Berean Standard Bible
King James Version
Translation for Translators
T4T was designed as a tool for Bible translators, not as a devotional text. It makes implicit meaning explicit and flags figurative language with abbreviations. Gold [brackets] indicate translation notes. ◄Triangles► mark alternative renderings.Read more about how to read T4T →9
So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
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.
So Moses/I made a snake from bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Then, when those who had been bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!
WLC
Hebrew, word by word
9
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ accomplish עָשָׂה ʻâsâh a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruis מֹשֶׁה֙ Moses מֹשֶׁה Môsheh from H4871 (מָשָׁה); drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver Moses. נְחַ֣שׁ serpent נָחָשׁ nâchâsh from H5172 (נָחַשׁ); a snake (from its hiss) serpent. נְחֹ֔שֶׁת brasen נְחֹשֶׁת nᵉchôsheth for H5154 (נְחוּשָׁה); copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver) brasen, brass, cha וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ appoint שׂוּם sûwm or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically) [idiom] any wise, appoint, br עַל above עַל ʻal properly, the same as H5920 (עַל) used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, ־ הַנֵּ֑ס pole נֵס nêç from H5264 (נָסַס); a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively, a token banner, pole, sail, (en-) sign, standard. וְהָיָ֗ה beacon הָיָה hâyâh a primitive root (compare H1933 (הָוָא)); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary) beacon, [idiom] altoge אִם either אִם ʼim a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, ־ נָשַׁ֤ךְ bite נָשַׁךְ nâshak a primitive root; to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loan bite, lend upon usury. הַנָּחָשׁ֙ serpent נָחָשׁ nâchâsh from H5172 (נָחַשׁ); a snake (from its hiss) serpent. אֶת apparent contracted אֵת ʼêth apparent contracted from H226 (אוֹת) in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb ־ אִ֔ישׁ man אִישׁ ʼîysh contracted for H582 (אֱנוֹשׁ) (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to וְהִבִּ֛יט behold נָבַט nâbaṭ a primitive root; to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care (cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have אֶל about אֵל ʼêl (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, ־ נְחַ֥שׁ serpent נָחָשׁ nâchâsh from H5172 (נָחַשׁ); a snake (from its hiss) serpent. הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת brasen נְחֹשֶׁת nᵉchôsheth for H5154 (נְחוּשָׁה); copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver) brasen, brass, cha וָחָֽי live חָיַי châyay a primitive root (compare H2421 (חָיָה)); to live; causatively to revive live, save life. ׃
So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
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