Numbers 21:4-9 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 21:4-9

Here is, I. The fatigue of Israel by a long march round the land of Edom, because they could not obtain passage through it the nearest way: The soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way, Num. 21:4. Perhaps the way was rough and uneven, or foul and dirty; or it fretted them to go far about, and that they were not permitted to force their passage through the Edomites? country. Those that are of a fretful discontented spirit will always find something or other to make them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:4

And they journeyed from Mount Hor ,.... After the battle with the king of Arad, and the defeat of him: by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom ; which lay by it, and from whence it had the name of the Red sea, Edom signifying red; and by the way of that the Israelites must needs go, to go round that country: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way ; because it was going back instead of going forward to Canaan's land, and because of the length... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:5

And the people spake against God ,.... Who went before them in the pillar of cloud and fire, for leading them in such a way; that is, against Christ, as the apostle has taught us to interpret it, 1 Corinthians 10:9 , and is no inconsiderable proof of the deity of Christ; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"and the people thought in their heart, and spake against the Word of the Lord,'the essential Word and Son of God: and against Moses ; his servant, for obeying the orders of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:6

And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people ,.... Of which there were great numbers in the deserts of Arabia, and about the Red sea; but hitherto the Israelites were protected from them by the cloud about them, but sinning, the Lord suffered them to come among them, to punish them; these are called fiery, either from their colour, for in Arabia, as there were serpents of a golden colour, as Aelianus F18 De Animal. l. 10. c. 13. relates, to which the brazen serpent, after made,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:7

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, we have sinned ,.... Being bitten with serpents, and some having died, the rest were frightened, and came and made an humble acknowledgment of their sins to Moses: for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee ; murmuring at their being brought out of Egypt, and because they had no better provision in the wilderness; concluding they should die there for want, and never enter into the land of Canaan, of which evils they were now... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:8

And the Lord said unto Moses ,.... 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:9

And Moses made a serpent of brass ,.... Which was the most proper metal to make it of, that it might resemble the fiery serpents, whether of a golden or scarlet colour: and Diodorus Siculus F4 Bibliothec. l. 17. p. 560. speaks of some of the colour of brass, whose bite was immediately followed with death, and by which, if anyone was struck, he was seized with terrible pains, and a bloody sweat flowed all over him; and this was chosen also, because being burnished and bright, could be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:5

This light bread - הקלקל hakkelokel , a word of excessive scorn; as if they had said, This innutritive, unsubstantial, cheat - stomach stuff. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:6

Fiery serpents - השרפים הנחשים hannechashim hasseraphim . I have observed before, on Gen. iii., that it is difficult to assign a name to the creature termed in Hebrew nachash ; it has different significations, but its meaning here and in Gen. iii. is most difficult to be ascertained. Seraphim is one of the orders of angelic beings, Isaiah 6:2 , Isaiah 6:6 ; but as it comes from the root שרף saraph , which signifies to burn, it has been translated fiery in the text. It is likely... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:8

Make thee a fiery serpent - Literally, make thee a seraph. And put it upon a pole - נס על al nes , upon a standard or ensign. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 21:4-9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 21:9

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 21:8

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