King James Version

Numbers 21:8

And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֜הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).מֹשֶׁ֗הmoshehMosesמֹשֶׁהnoun, proper name — “Moses”H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverMoses.עֲשֵׂ֤הasehdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “do”, a commandH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…לְךָ֙lekhatoלְךָ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toשָׂרָ֔ףsaraffieryשָׂרָףnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “fiery”, the ordinary formH8314burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color)fiery (serpent), seraph.וְשִׂ֥יםvesimand putשׂוּםconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and put”, a commandH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…אֹת֖וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…נֵ֑סnessailנֵסnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “sail”, the ordinary formH5251a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively, a tokenbanner, pole, sail, (en-) sign, standard.וְהָיָה֙vehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְhanashukhethe biteנָשַׁךְdefinite article, verb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “the bite”, a verb used as a describing wordH5391to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loanbite, lend upon usury.וְרָאָ֥הveraahand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, a completed action in a sequenceH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…אֹת֖וֹotvoobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).וָחָֽיvachayand liveחָיַיconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and live”, a completed action in a sequenceH2425to live; causatively to revivelive, save life.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Make for thee a burning [serpent], and set it on an ensign; and it hath been, every one who is bitten and hath seen it — he hath lived.

World English Bible

Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”

Darby Translation

And Jehovah said to Moses, Make thee a fiery [serpent], and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live.

Douay-Rheims

And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal- staff ; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ηὔξατο Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ εἰπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, ποίησον σεαυτῷ ὄφιν, καὶ θὲς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σημείου, καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν δάκῃ ὄφις ἄνθρωπον, πᾶς ὁ δεδηγμένος ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ζήσεται.