Harvest 1874
Well-Known Member
Nehushtan
The word occurs but once, namely, in 2 Kings 18:4.
“He (King Hezekiah of Juda) removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden imagea]" and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.”
In the account there given of the reforms carried out by Hezekiah, it is said that "he brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan." According to the Revised Version margin the word means "a piece of brass." If this be correct, the sense of the passage is that Hezekiah not only breaks the brazen serpent in pieces but, suiting the word to the act, scornfully calls it "a (mere) piece of brass" (Not any different from the wooden images which were likewise being worshiped). Hezekiah thus takes his place as a true reformer, and as a champion of the purification of the religion of Israel. This is the traditional interpretation of the passage, and fairly represents the Hebrew text as it now stands.
There are at least three considerations, however, which throw doubt upon this interpretation. In the first place, the word Nehushtan is not a common noun, and cannot mean simply "a piece of brass." The point of the Biblical statement is entirely lost by such a construction. It is emphatically a proper noun, and is the special name given to this particular brazen serpent. As such it would be sacred to all worshipers of the brazen serpent, and familiar to all who frequented the Temple. In the second place, it is probable that Nehushtan is to be derived from nachash, "serpent," rather than from nechosheth, "brass."
The name of the image would more probably be based on its form rather than on the material out of which it was made. Likewise from the reading it states. “and (they) called it”, this implies that Nehushtan was the name by which the serpent-image was generally known during the years it was worshiped, rather than an expression used for the first time by Hezekiah on the occasion of its destruction.
Whichever derivation be adopted, however, the word must be construed as a proper name. If it be derived from "brass," then the translation must be, not "a piece of brass," but "The (great) Brass," giving the word a special sense by which it refers unequivocally to the well-known image made of brass. If it be derived from "serpent," then the translation must be, "The (great) Serpent," the word in this case referring in a special sense to the well-known image in serpent form. But the significance of the word probably lies far back of any etymological explanation of it that can now be given. It is not a term that can be adequately explained by reference to verbal roots, but is rather an epitome of the reverence of those who, however mistakenly, looked upon the brazen serpent as a proper object of worship.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Page 5693)
“The reform of Hezekiah was one of the high points of Israel's history during the period of the kings. The brazen serpent which had played such an important role in the wilderness wanderings of the chosen people (Numbers 21:5-9) had become worshiped as a relic. Seeing how it was being used, Hezekiah had it broken in pieces so that the Israelite's could no longer burn incense to it. He further demeaned it by renaming it Nehushtan, which means "a thing of brass"--in other words, a brass object of no special significance.”
In Rom 1:23, Paul speaks of this tendency of man to build his own visible objects of worship replacing the invisible realities behind them: "And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
This was the problem with Israel when they built the golden calf in their fear that Moses would not come down from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32). The same tendency is noted in Hab 1:14-16,
“Why do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? They take up all of them with a hook; they catch them in their net, and gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their dragnet; because by them their share is sumptuous and their food plentiful."
The worship was directed to the net instead of to God who made the fish for man's meat.
In a very real sense, the brazen serpent of Moses' day was a symbol of the cross of Christ. Only too frequently today we see the death of Christ trivialized by conspicuous golden jewelry. If this is worn only for its aesthetic effects, the cross becomes, like the brazen serpent in Hezekiah's day, "a thing of metal."
It is not the instrument of the death that we must worship, but the one who died thereon. If the visible object replaces the invisible reality, it is to be discarded and called Nehushtan--a worthless thing.” (The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, March/April 1999 Page 50)
The word occurs but once, namely, in 2 Kings 18:4.
“He (King Hezekiah of Juda) removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden imagea]" and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.”
In the account there given of the reforms carried out by Hezekiah, it is said that "he brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan." According to the Revised Version margin the word means "a piece of brass." If this be correct, the sense of the passage is that Hezekiah not only breaks the brazen serpent in pieces but, suiting the word to the act, scornfully calls it "a (mere) piece of brass" (Not any different from the wooden images which were likewise being worshiped). Hezekiah thus takes his place as a true reformer, and as a champion of the purification of the religion of Israel. This is the traditional interpretation of the passage, and fairly represents the Hebrew text as it now stands.
There are at least three considerations, however, which throw doubt upon this interpretation. In the first place, the word Nehushtan is not a common noun, and cannot mean simply "a piece of brass." The point of the Biblical statement is entirely lost by such a construction. It is emphatically a proper noun, and is the special name given to this particular brazen serpent. As such it would be sacred to all worshipers of the brazen serpent, and familiar to all who frequented the Temple. In the second place, it is probable that Nehushtan is to be derived from nachash, "serpent," rather than from nechosheth, "brass."
The name of the image would more probably be based on its form rather than on the material out of which it was made. Likewise from the reading it states. “and (they) called it”, this implies that Nehushtan was the name by which the serpent-image was generally known during the years it was worshiped, rather than an expression used for the first time by Hezekiah on the occasion of its destruction.
Whichever derivation be adopted, however, the word must be construed as a proper name. If it be derived from "brass," then the translation must be, not "a piece of brass," but "The (great) Brass," giving the word a special sense by which it refers unequivocally to the well-known image made of brass. If it be derived from "serpent," then the translation must be, "The (great) Serpent," the word in this case referring in a special sense to the well-known image in serpent form. But the significance of the word probably lies far back of any etymological explanation of it that can now be given. It is not a term that can be adequately explained by reference to verbal roots, but is rather an epitome of the reverence of those who, however mistakenly, looked upon the brazen serpent as a proper object of worship.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Page 5693)
“The reform of Hezekiah was one of the high points of Israel's history during the period of the kings. The brazen serpent which had played such an important role in the wilderness wanderings of the chosen people (Numbers 21:5-9) had become worshiped as a relic. Seeing how it was being used, Hezekiah had it broken in pieces so that the Israelite's could no longer burn incense to it. He further demeaned it by renaming it Nehushtan, which means "a thing of brass"--in other words, a brass object of no special significance.”
In Rom 1:23, Paul speaks of this tendency of man to build his own visible objects of worship replacing the invisible realities behind them: "And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
This was the problem with Israel when they built the golden calf in their fear that Moses would not come down from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32). The same tendency is noted in Hab 1:14-16,
“Why do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? They take up all of them with a hook; they catch them in their net, and gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their dragnet; because by them their share is sumptuous and their food plentiful."
The worship was directed to the net instead of to God who made the fish for man's meat.
In a very real sense, the brazen serpent of Moses' day was a symbol of the cross of Christ. Only too frequently today we see the death of Christ trivialized by conspicuous golden jewelry. If this is worn only for its aesthetic effects, the cross becomes, like the brazen serpent in Hezekiah's day, "a thing of metal."
It is not the instrument of the death that we must worship, but the one who died thereon. If the visible object replaces the invisible reality, it is to be discarded and called Nehushtan--a worthless thing.” (The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, March/April 1999 Page 50)