Numbers 21:6 So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

◄ Numbers 21:6 ►

New International Version
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

New Living Translation
So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.

English Standard Version
Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Berean Standard Bible
So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

King James Bible
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

New King James Version
So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

NASB 1995
The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

NASB 1977
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD sent fiery (burning) serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many Israelites died.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Contemporary English Version
Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.

English Revised Version
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people. They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.

Good News Translation
Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died.

International Standard Version
In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died.

Majority Standard Bible
So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

NET Bible
So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

World English Bible
Yahweh sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And YHWH sends the burning serpents among the people, and they bite the people, and many people of Israel die;

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah sendeth among the people the burning serpents, and they bite the people, and much people of Israel die;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will send upon the people deadly serpents, and they will bite the people; and much people will die from Israel.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For this reason, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, which wounded or killed many of them.

New American Bible
So the LORD sent among the people seraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of the Israelites died.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And the LORD sent fiery serpents against the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH sent destructive snakes against the people and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Bronze Serpent
…5and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!” 6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. 7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.

1 Corinthians 10:9
We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.

Psalm 78:21-22
Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel, / because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.

Isaiah 14:29
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg.

John 3:14-15
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, / that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

Deuteronomy 32:24
They will be wasted from hunger and ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will send the fangs of wild beasts against them, with the venom of vipers that slither in the dust.

Psalm 140:3
They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah

Revelation 9:19
For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; indeed, their tails were like snakes, having heads with which to inflict harm.

Jeremiah 8:17
“For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD.

Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

Isaiah 30:6
This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

Mark 16:18
they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

Psalm 58:4
Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,

Romans 3:13
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”

Treasury of Scripture

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

Genesis 3:14,15
And 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: …

Deuteronomy 8:15
Who 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;

Isaiah 14:29
Rejoice 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.

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Numbers 21

1. Israel destroys the Canaanites at Hormah
4. The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents
7. They repenting are healed by a bronze serpent
10. Various journeys of the Israelites
21. Sihon is overcome
33. And Og

Berean Study Bible

So the LORD sent
The phrase begins with the divine action of the LORD, emphasizing His sovereignty and active role in the events of Israel's journey. The Hebrew word for "sent" is שָׁלַח (shalach), which conveys the idea of dispatching or commissioning. This action underscores God's direct involvement in the discipline of His people, reminding us of His holiness and justice. It serves as a sobering reminder that God is not indifferent to sin and rebellion, but rather, He is a righteous judge who acts according to His divine will.

venomous snakes
The Hebrew term used here is שָׂרָף (saraph), which can be translated as "fiery" or "burning," likely referring to the burning sensation caused by the venom. These creatures are instruments of divine judgment, illustrating the seriousness of Israel's sin. The presence of these snakes in the wilderness also reflects the harsh and dangerous environment through which the Israelites journeyed, a setting that required their reliance on God's protection and provision.

among the people
This phrase indicates the pervasive nature of the judgment. The snakes were not isolated to a specific group but were sent "among the people," affecting the entire community. This communal aspect of the judgment highlights the corporate responsibility of the Israelites and serves as a warning about the consequences of collective disobedience. It also points to the need for communal repentance and intercession.

and they bit the Israelites
The act of biting signifies the immediate and painful consequence of the Israelites' rebellion. The Hebrew word for "bit" is נָשַׁךְ (nashak), which implies a piercing or striking action. This physical affliction is a direct result of their spiritual rebellion, illustrating the principle that sin often leads to suffering. The bites serve as a tangible reminder of the Israelites' need for repentance and God's mercy.

so that many of them died
The outcome of the snake bites was death for many Israelites, underscoring the severity of the judgment. This tragic result serves as a stark warning about the wages of sin, as echoed in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." The death of many Israelites is a call to recognize the seriousness of turning away from God and the ultimate consequence of unrepentant sin. It also foreshadows the need for a savior who can deliver from the sting of death, pointing forward to the redemptive work of Christ.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) And the Lord sent fiery serpents . . . --Hebrew, the serpents, the seraphim (i.e., the burning ones). (See Deuteronomy 8:15; Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6.) The word appears to denote a particular kind of serpent, as in the following verse. Some think that they were so called because of the bright fiery red upon their heads; others because of the blazing sunbeams on their scales; and others because of their inflammatory and poisonous bite. Venomous snakes are said to abound still in the Arabah.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - Fiery serpents, גְחָשִׁים שְׂרָפִים. Nachash is the ordinary word for serpent. The word saraph which seems to mean "burning one," stands (by itself) for a serpent in verse 8, and also in Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6. In Isaiah 6:2, 6 it stands for one of the symbolic beings (seraphim) of the prophet's vision. The only idea common to the two meanings (otherwise so distinct) must be that of brilliance and metallic luster. It is commonly assumed that the "fiery" serpents were so called because of the burning pain and inflammation caused by the bite, after the analogy of the πρηστῆρες and καύσωνες of Dioscorus and AElian. But is hardly possible that Isaiah should have used the same word in such wholly dissimilar senses, and it is clear from comparison with Ezekiel's vision of the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:7) that the saraph of Isaiah 6:2 was so called from the burnished luster of his appearance. Even our Lord himself is described in the Apocalypse as having in the highest degree this appearance of glowing brass (Revelation 1:15; Revelation 2:18). It is further clear that the saraph was so named from his colour, not his venom, because when Moses was ordered to make a saraph he made a serpent of brass (or rather copper), with the evident intent of imitating as closely as possible the appearance of the venomous reptile. We may conclude then with some confidence that these serpents were of a fiery red colour, resembling in this respect certain very deadly snakes in Australia, which are known as "copper snakes." Travelers speak of some such pests as still abounding in the region of the Arabah, but it is quite uncertain whether the fiery serpents of that special visitation can be identified with any existing species.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So the LORD
יְהוָ֜ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

sent
וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח (way·šal·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

poisonous snakes
הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים (han·nə·ḥā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5175: A serpent

among the people,
בָּעָ֗ם (bā·‘ām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and many
רָ֖ב (rāḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

of the Israelites
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (mî·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

were bitten
וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ (way·naš·šə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5391: To strike with a, sting, to oppress with usury

and died.
וַיָּ֥מָת (way·yā·māṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

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OT Law: Numbers 21:6 Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people (Nu Num.)