Bible Strands
Numbers 21:7
Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Israelites approach Moses following the death of many from venomous snake bites, confessing their rebellion and requesting his mediation to remove the judgment.
The words — חָטָאנוּ (cha.Ta.nu) translates literally as "we have sinned," while דִבַּרְנוּ (di.Bar.nu) means "we have spoken," directly naming their verbal transgression against God and His appointed leader.
The thread — This pattern of post-judgment repentance and intercessory prayer parallels Pharaoh’s plea in Exodus 8:8, Simon Magus’s request in Acts 8:24, and the psalmist’s observation of Israel’s cycle of sin and seeking in Psalm 78:34.
Why it lands — The text records the people’s admission and Moses’ response as a factual account of prophetic mediation, requiring the reader to recognize that divine discipline is met with human confession and appointed intercession.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
Cross-references
- Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
- Exodus 8:8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
- Psalms 78:34 When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
- Numbers 11:2 And the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.
- Exodus 8:28 Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
- 1 Kings 13:6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.
- 1 Samuel 12:19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”
- Genesis 20:7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
- Exodus 9:27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
- Exodus 32:11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?