SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:8
Y el SEÑOR dijo a Moisés: Hazte una serpiente ardiente, y ponla sobre la bandera; y será que cualquiera que fuere mordido y mirare a ella, vivirá.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:8
Verse 8. Make thee a fiery serpent] Literally, make thee a seraph. And put it upon a pole] sn l[ al nes, upon a standard or ensign.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And the Lord said unto Moses , etc.] Out of the cloud; or, it may be, Moses went into the sanctuary, and there prayed, and the Lord answered him from between the cherubim: make them a fiery serpent ; not a real one, but the likeness of one, one that should very much resemble the fiery serpents Israel had been bitten with: and set it upon a pole ; a standard, banner, or ensign, as the word signifies; perhaps meaning one of the poles on which their ensigns were carried: the Targum of Jonathan renders it, on an high place, that so it might be seen by all in the camp: and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live ; which is very wonderful, that by looking to the figure of a serpent, men should be cured of the bites of real ones, and which bites were deadly; the virtue of healing could not come from the figure, but from God, who appointed it to be made, the Targum of Jonathan adds, that one bitten should live, “if he directed his heart to the Word of the Lord,” even to that divine Logos or Word of God, whose lifting up was figured hereby; (see John 3:14).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 4-9 - The children of Israel were wearied by a long march round the land of Edom. They speak discontentedly of what God had done for them, an distrustfully of what he would do. What will they be pleased with, who manna will not please? Let not the contempt which some cast on the wor of God, make us value it less. It is the bread of life, substantia bread, and will nourish those who by faith feed upon it, to eterna life, whoever may call it light bread. We see the righteous judgmen God brought upon them for murmuring. He sent fiery serpents among them which bit or stung many to death. It is to be feared that they woul not have owned the sin, if they had not felt the smart; but they relen under the rod. And God made a wonderful provision for their relief. The Jews themselves say it was not the sight of the brazen serpent tha cured; but in looking up to it, they looked up to God as the Lord tha healed them. There was much gospel in this. Our Saviour declared, Jo 3:14, 15, that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, that whatsoever believeth in him, shoul not perish. Compare their disease and ours. Sin bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Compare the application of their remedy an ours. They looked and lived, and we, if we believe, shall not perish It is by faith that we look unto Jesus, Heb 12:2. Whosoever looked however desperate his case, or feeble his sight, or distant his place was certainly and perfectly cured. The Lord can relieve us from danger and distresses, by means which human reason never would have devised Oh that the venom of the old serpent, inflaming men's passions, an causing them to commit sins which end in their eternal destruction were as sensibly felt, and the danger as plainly seen, as the Israelites felt pain from the bite of the fiery serpents, and feare the death which followed! Then none would shut their eyes to Christ, or turn from his gospel. Then a crucified Saviour would be so valued, tha all things else would be accounted loss for him; then, without delay and with earnestness and simplicity, all would apply to him in the appointed way, crying, Lord, save us; we perish! Nor would any abus the freeness of Christ's salvation, while they reckoned the price whic it cost him.
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 יהוה 3068 אל 413 משׁה 4872 עשׂה 6213 לך שׂרף 8314 ושׂים 7760 אתו 853 על 5921 נס 5251 והיה 1961 כל 3605 הנשׁוך 5391 וראה 7200 אתו 853 וחי׃ 2425
