Numbers 21:8-9

8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.
Numbers 21:8-9
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Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 8

Original language (Hebrew)

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ שָׂרָ֔ף וְשִׂ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ עַל־נֵ֑ס וְהָיָה֙ כָּל־הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְ וְרָאָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ וָחָֽי׃

  1. וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.mer“and he said”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from אָמַר · “to say” · Strong's H0559
  2. יְהוָ֜הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  3. אֶל־'el-“to”
    Preposition · from אֶל · “to(wards)” · Strong's H0413
  4. מֹשֶׁ֗הmo.Sheh“Moses”
    Noun, proper name of a man · from מֹשֶׁה · “Moses” · Strong's H4872
  5. עֲשֵׂ֤ה'a.Seh“make”
    Verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from עָשָׂה · “make(OBJECT)” · Strong's H6213H
  6. לְךָ֙le.Kha“for <the> yourself”
    Preposition with article + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from Os2m · “you” · Strong's H9031
  7. שָׂרָ֔ףsa.Raf“a saraph”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from שָׂרָף · “serpent” · Strong's H8314A
  8. וְשִׂ֥יםve.Sim“and put”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from שׂוּם · “make” · Strong's H7760A
  9. אֹת֖וֹ'o.To“<obj.> it”
    Particle, direct object marker + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  10. עַל־'al-“on”
    Preposition · from עַל · “upon” · Strong's H5921A
  11. נֵ֑סNes“a standard”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from נֵס · “ensign” · Strong's H5251H
  12. וְהָיָה֙ve.ha.Yah“and it will be”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  13. כָּל־kol-“every”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  14. הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְha.na.Shukh“<the> [one who] is bitten”
    Definite article + Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · from נָשַׁךְ · “to bite” · Strong's H5391A
  15. וְרָאָ֥הve.ra.'Ah“and he will see”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from רָאָה · “see” · Strong's H7200G
  16. אֹת֖וֹ'o.To“<obj.> it”
    Particle, direct object marker + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  17. וָחָֽי׃va.Chai“and he will live”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from חָיָה · “to live” · Strong's H2421

Verse 9

Original language (Hebrew)

וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ עַל־הַנֵּ֑ס וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־אִ֔ישׁ וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת וָחָֽי׃

  1. וַיַּ֤עַשׂvai.Ya.'as“and he made”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from עָשָׂה · “make(OBJECT)” · Strong's H6213H
  2. מֹשֶׁה֙mo.Sheh“Moses”
    Noun, proper name of a man · from מֹשֶׁה · “Moses” · Strong's H4872
  3. נְחַ֣שׁne.Chash“a snake of”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from נָחָשׁ · “serpent” · Strong's H5175
  4. נְחֹ֔שֶׁתne.Cho.shet“bronze”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from נְחֹ֫שֶׁת · “bronze” · Strong's H5178A
  5. וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּvay.si.Me.hu“and he put it”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from שׂוּם · “make” · Strong's H7760A
  6. עַל־'al-“on”
    Preposition · from עַל · “upon” · Strong's H5921A
  7. הַנֵּ֑סha.Nes“the standard”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from נֵס · “ensign” · Strong's H5251H
  8. וְהָיָ֗הve.ha.Yah“and it was”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from הָיָה · “to be” · Strong's H1961
  9. אִם־'im-“if”
    Particle · from אִם · “if” · Strong's H0518A
  10. נָשַׁ֤ךְna.Shakh“it had bitten”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from נָשַׁךְ · “to bite” · Strong's H5391A
  11. הַנָּחָשׁ֙ha.na.Chash“the snake”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from נָחָשׁ · “serpent” · Strong's H5175
  12. אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  13. אִ֔ישׁ'Ish“anyone”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from אִישׁ · “anyone” · Strong's H0376I
  14. וְהִבִּ֛יטve.hi.Bit“and he looked”
    Conjunction + Verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from נָבַט · “to look” · Strong's H5027
  15. אֶל־'el-“to”
    Preposition · from אֶל · “to(wards)” · Strong's H0413
  16. נְחַ֥שׁne.Chash“[the] snake of”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from נָחָשׁ · “serpent” · Strong's H5175
  17. הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁתha.ne.Cho.shet“<the> bronze”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from נְחֹ֫שֶׁת · “bronze” · Strong's H5178A
  18. וָחָֽי׃va.Chai“and he lived”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from חָיָה · “to live” · Strong's H2421
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)