Nehushtan
“A thing of brass, from 'nechosheth' (bronze) or related to 'nachash' (serpent)”
Summary
Nehushtan was the contemptuous name given to the bronze serpent made by Moses in the wilderness, which King Hezekiah destroyed after the Israelites had turned it into an idol.
☩Origin of the Bronze Serpent
During the wilderness wanderings, when fiery serpents plagued Israel because of their complaints against God and Moses, the Lord commanded Moses to make a serpent of bronze and set it on a pole. Anyone bitten by a serpent who looked upon the bronze image would live. This miraculous provision was preserved throughout Israel's wanderings and into the period of the kings, probably as a memorial of God's deliverance.
☩Destruction by Hezekiah
One of the first acts of the reforming King Hezekiah was to destroy all traces of idolatrous worship that had flourished under his father Ahaz. Among the objects of superstitious reverence was this ancient bronze serpent, to which the Israelites 'had been in the habit of burning incense.' Hezekiah broke it in pieces and called it 'Nehushtan'—'a mere piece of brass'—in token of his utter contempt, demonstrating that a sacred relic could become an idol.
☩Typological Significance
Jesus referred to this incident in His conversation with Nicodemus, declaring, 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.' The bronze serpent thus typified Christ lifted up on the cross, and the healing of those who looked upon it in faith foreshadowed salvation through faith in the crucified Savior. This typological significance affirms the historical truth and religious importance of the original event.
Related Verses1 mention
2 Kings· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Nehushtan," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Nehushtan," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).