Numbers 21:6

 Numbers 21:6

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

a. NLT: So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And Jehovah sendeth among the people the burning serpents, and they bite the people, and much people of Israel die;  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Then the Lord sent fiery (burning) serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many Israelites died. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: God sent fiery serpents against the people and they bit the people. A large multitude of Israel died.   [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. The Israel Bible: Hashem sent seraph serpents against the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died.  [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

g. NIV: Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people…”

a. [And the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. sent [Strong: 7971 shalach shaw-lakh' a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).]

c. fiery [Strong: 8314 saraph saw-rawf' from 8313; burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color):--fiery (serpent), seraph.]

d. serpents [Strong: 5175 nachash naw-khawsh' from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):--serpent.]

e. [among the] people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

f. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

1). Troy J. Edwards, The Permissive Sense: Other portions of Scripture tells us the fiery serpents were always in the wilderness and that God was leading and protecting the people from the.

a). Psalm 91:1-13 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

91:9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

b). Deuteronomy 8:11-16 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

8:13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

c). 1 Corinthians 10:9, 10 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

2). Troy J. Edwards, The Permissive Sense: (continued) There is no doubt that the destroyer mentioned here is the same one who Peter says is seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8, 9) and our Lord says comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Therefore, allowing Scripture to define its own words, we will have to interpret “sent” in the permissive sense.  

2. “...and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.”

a. [and they] bit [Strong: 5391 nashak naw-shak' a primitive root; to strike with a sting (as a serpent); figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loan:--bite, lend upon usury.]

b. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

c. [the] people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

d. [and] much [Strong: 7227 rab rab by contracted from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):--(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), ((ship-))master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).]

e. people [Strong: 5971 `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

f. [of] Israel [Strong:   3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale' from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: --Israel.]

g. died [Strong: 4191 muwth mooth a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs, slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.]