Lexical Summary Nechushtan: Nechushtan Original Word: נְחֻשְׁתָּן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Nehushtan From nchosheth; something made of copper, i.e. The copper serpent of the Desert -- Nehushtan. see HEBREW nchosheth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as nechosheth Definition the name of Moses' bronze serpent NASB Translation Nehushtan (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְחֻשְׁתָּן proper name, feminine given to bronze serpent 2 Kings 18:4 probably = bronze-god (so Thes, see also BauSemitic Rel. i. 288; compare נְחַשׁ נְחשֶׁת 2 Kings 18:4; Numbers 21:9 (twice in verse) ); — chief arg. ag. this are vocalization of ᵐ5 Νεσθαλει, A ᵐ5L Νε(ε)σθαν, and comparative unimportance of material of which image was made; others think of נָחָשׁ serpent (NöZMG xlii (1888), 482 תן + נחשׁ, Kloon the passage יתן + נחשׁ); LagBN 188, 205 thinks loan-word IV. נחשׁ (possibly √ of following, si vera lectio; but precise meaning uncertain; GeiUrschrift 392 compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Origin and Description The object later called Nehushtan began as the bronze serpent Moses fashioned “and set it on a pole” so that “anyone who is bitten can look at it and live” (Numbers 21:8 –). The word Nehushtan itself appears only once in the Hebrew text, centuries later, yet it preserves the memory of that wilderness artifact. Originally a God-ordained means of deliverance, it was a simple piece of bronze that pointed Israel to divine mercy rather than to any inherent power in metal or craftsmanship. Historical Trajectory From the plains of Moab the serpent was evidently kept as a sacred relic. Generations transported it through conquest, settlement, the period of the Judges, and the united monarchy. Over time, however, what had once been a signpost to faith became an object of cultic fascination: “For to those days the Israelites had been burning incense to it” (2 Kings 18:4 –). The lapse in understanding transformed a symbol of grace into an idol, illustrating how easily the human heart can exchange the Giver for the gift. Hezekiah’s Reform and Destruction Hezekiah “removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also broke into pieces the bronze serpent Moses had made, for to those days the Israelites had been burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan” (2 Kings 18:4 –). By naming it Nehushtan—literally “a piece of bronze”—the king demystified the relic. His decisive act underscored that true reform must confront idolatry wherever it is found, even when the idol carries historic prestige or sentimental value. The episode stands alongside Josiah’s later renewal (2 Kings 23) as a model for purging counterfeit worship. Theological Significance 1. God alone heals. The wilderness serpent wrought no cure apart from obedient faith (Numbers 21:9). Typological Connection to Christ Jesus interpreted the bronze serpent as a prophetic type: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15 –). Nehushtan’s pole foreshadowed the cross; the look of faith prefigured belief in the crucified and risen Savior. While Hezekiah shattered the physical relic, its redemptive message was fulfilled, not abolished, in Christ. Lessons for Ministry • Guard against venerating methods, traditions, or artifacts above the Lord who once used them. Related Scripture References Numbers 21:4-9; 2 Kings 18:4; John 3:14-15; Revelation 2:14 (contrast with later misuses of Balaam’s legacy); 1 Corinthians 10:11 (principle of Old Testament examples). Forms and Transliterations נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃ נחשתן׃ nə·ḥuš·tān nechushTan nəḥuštānLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 18:4 HEB: וַיִּקְרָא־ ל֖וֹ נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃ NAS: to it; and it was called Nehushtan. KJV: to it: and he called it Nehushtan. INT: burned called Nehushtan 1 Occurrence |
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[= goad, prick; 
a certain piece of perforated wood (Frey)], Late Hebrew נְחשֶׁת [bottom of vessel, LevyNHWB iii. 374]).