SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:4
El quitó los altos, y quebró las imágenes, y taló los bosques, e hizo pedazos la serpiente de bronce que había hecho Moisés, porque hasta entonces le quemaban incienso los hijos de Israel; y le llamó por nombre Nehustán ( cosa de bronce ).
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 18:4
Verse 4. Brake in pieces the brazen serpent.] The history of this may be seen in Num. xxi. 8, 9; see the notes there. We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a telesm or amulet, extraordinary virtues, and that incense was burnt before it which should have been burnt before the true God.
And he called it Nehushtan.] thn . Not one of the versions has attempted to translate this word. Jarchi says, "He called it Nechustan, through contempt, which is as much as to say, a brazen serpent." Some have supposed that the word is compounded of jn nachash, to divine, and t tan, a serpent, so it signifies the divining serpent; and the Targum states that it was the people, not Hezekiah, that gave it this name. jn nachash signifies to view, eye attentively, observe, to search, inquire accurately, &c.; and hence is used to express divination, augury. As a noun it signifies brass or copper, filth, verdigris, and some sea animal, Amos ix. 3; see also Job xxvi. 13, and Isa. xxvi. 1. It is also frequently used for a serpent; and most probably for an animal of the genus Simia, in Gen. iii. 1, where see the notes. This has been contested by some, ridiculed by a few, and believed by many. The objectors, because it signifies a serpent sometimes, suppose it must have the same signification always! And one to express his contempt and show his sense, has said, "Did Moses hang up an ape on a pole?" I answer, No, no more than he hanged up you, who ask the contemptible question. But this is of a piece with the conduct of the people of Milan, who show you to this day the brazen serpent which Moses hung up in the wilderness, and which Hezekiah broke in pieces two thousand five hundred years ago! Of serpents there is a great variety. Allowing that jn nachash signifies a serpent, I may ask in my turn, What kind of a serpent was it that tempted Eve? Of what species was that which Moses hung up on the pole, and which Hezekiah broke to pieces? Who of the wise men can answer these questions? Till this is done I assert, that the word, Gen. iii. 1, &c., does not signify a serpent of any kind; and that with a creature of the genus Simia the whole account best agrees.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. He removed the high places , etc.] Which the best of the kings of Judah never attempted, and which is observed of them to their discredit: and broke the images, and cut down the groves ; the idols his father set up and served, ( 2 Kings 16:4 2 Chronicles 28:24,26), groves and idols in them, were early instances of idolatry; (see Gill on Judges 3:7), and their use for temples are still continued, not only among some Indian nations f230 , but among some Christians in the northern parts of Europe f231 ; and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made ; which he made in the wilderness, and which was brought by the children of Israel with them into the land of Canaan, and was kept as a memorial of the miracle wrought by looking to it, being laid up in some proper place where it had been preserved to this day: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it not from the time it was brought into Canaan, nor even in later times, in the days of Asa and Jehoshaphat, who would never have suffered it; very probably this piece of idolatry began in the times of Ahaz, who encouraged everything of that kind: for this serpent they had a great veneration, being made by Moses, and a means in his time of healing the Israelites; and they imagined it might be of some service to them, in a way of mediation to God; and worthy of worship, having some degree of divinity, as Kimchi and Ben Gersom; but Laniado excuses them from all show of idolatry, and supposes what they did was for the honour of God only; hence sprung the heresy of the Ophites, according to Theodoret: and he called it Nehushtan ; perceiving they were ensnared by it, and drawn into idolatry to it, by way of contempt he called it by this name, which signifies brass; suggesting that it was only a mere piece of brass, had no divinity in it, and could be of no service to them in divine things; and, that it might no longer be a snare to them, he broke it into pieces; and, as the Jews say, ground it to powder, and scattered it to every wind, that there might be no remains of it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Hezekiah was a true son of David. Some others did that which was right but not like David. Let us not suppose that when times and men are bad they must needs grow worse and worse; that does not follow: after man bad kings, God raised one up like David himself. The brazen serpent ha been carefully preserved, as a memorial of God's goodness to their fathers in the wilderness; but it was idle and wicked to burn incens to it. All helps to devotion, not warranted by the word of God interrupt the exercise of faith; they always lead to superstition an other dangerous evils. Human nature perverts every thing of this kind True faith needs not such aids; the word of God, daily thought upon an prayed over, is all the outward help we need.
Original Hebrew
הוא 1931 הסיר 5493 את 853 הבמות 1116 ושׁבר 7665 את 853 המצבת 4676 וכרת 3772 את 853 האשׁרה 842 וכתת 3807 נחשׁ 5175 הנחשׁת 5178 אשׁר 834 עשׂה 6213 משׁה 4872 כי 3588 עד 5704 הימים 3117 ההמה 1992 היו 1961 בני 1121 ישׂראל 3478 מקטרים 6999 לו ויקרא 7121 לו נחשׁתן׃ 5180
