Numbers 21:6 (DRB)

Passage

Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:4 And they marched from mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom. And the people began to be weary of their journey and labour:

Numbers 21:5 And speaking against God and Moses, they said: Why didst thou bring us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, nor have we any waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food.

Numbers 21:6 Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them.

Numbers 21:7 Upon which they came to Moses, and said; We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said to him: Make a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "lord", "sent", "people", "fiery", "serpents", and "killed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "And speaking against God and Moses they..." into verse 7's "Upon which they came to Moses and...", so "wherefore" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wherefore" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.