And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died.
- BSB So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.
- NKJV So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
- NASB Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.
- NLT So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Lord sent venomous snakes that bit the people, and many Israelites died. God judged their rebellion with a deadly plague.
Overview
The fiery serpents bring tangible judgment on the people's contempt for God's goodness. The deadliness of the bites mirrors the deadliness of their sin in despising the Lord. This sober discipline prepares the way for a gracious remedy that will display both judgment and mercy together.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 10:9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
- Jer 8:17For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
- Deut 8:15Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
- Amos 9:3–4And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:
- Isa 30:6The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
- Isa 14:29Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
- Gen 3:14–15And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 21:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.