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Nehushtan

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Nehushtan is the name given to the bronze serpent when it becomes an idol.

Detailed Definition
Although the bronze serpent once served as a means of healing, King Hezekiah destroys it when people begin burning incense to it. The name Nehushtan emphasizes that even a sacred object can become an idol when the sign replaces what it signifies. Poets may use Nehushtan for treasured symbols grown empty, inherited rituals, or the courage required to break what once genuinely helped.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may invoke “Nehushtan” as the bronze serpent transformed from a healing sign into an idol; The word can symbolize any revered object that has outlived its purpose; A poem about political symbols may call a discarded emblem “our Nehushtan”; The allusion warns that even a once-holy instrument can become an obstacle when worship replaces wisdom.
Additional Notes
Nehushtan is the name King Hezekiah gives to the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. Although the serpent had once been associated with healing, the people later burned incense to it, so Hezekiah destroys it as an idol in 2 Kings 18:4. The term can symbolize the danger of turning a sacred reminder into an object of worship or allowing tradition to replace faithfulness.
Also Known As
Brazen Serpent Bronze Serpent Copper Serpent
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