Lifted up the bronze snake on a pole translates “lifted up the snake.” This verse refers to the actions of Moses described in Numbers 21.9. To translate “the snake” literally may leave a wrong impression with readers who have a limited knowledge of its biblical background. Good News Translation, intended for persons less familiar with the Old Testament account than were John’s readers, builds into its text information which makes explicit what Moses did. This solution is not adding to the text; it is merely an attempt to give present-day readers the same meaning that the original readers would have derived from the simple statement in John’s text. This information was made clearly implicit for John’s readers by use of the definite article “the” before “snake,” referring to a known entity. The point of comparison is the lifting up; the Son of Man is not being compared to a snake. In John’s Gospel the verb “to lift up” is used only of the Son of Man, and it always has a double point of reference—his being lifted up on the cross and his being lifted up to glory. Although the double reference is always present, each particular context has its specific emphasis, and the translator should attempt to see which aspect is in focus in any given verse. Here the lifting up on the cross is more nearly in focus than his being lifted up to glory.

Verse 14 involves a number of subtle problems in translation. For example, in translating lifted up it is necessary in some languages to distinguish between whether the bronze snake was lifted up and put on a pole, or whether it was attached to a pole and the pole lifted up. Ultimately, of course, the difference is not great, but if one wishes to maintain closely the analogy with the crucifixion, the second meaning will probably be preferred.

It may be difficult or awkward to translate precisely the meaning of bronze snake. It should be made clear that bronze was not simply the color of the snake or its name; the reference is to an “image of a snake made of bronze” or “… made of metal.” It may be necessary to indicate that this metal snake was attached rigidly to a pole, either “nailed to a pole” or “tied to a pole.”

It may be important to indicate as well the relationship of in the desert to on a pole. Was this a pole already existing in the desert, or did Moses lift up the bronze snake in a place which was desert? The second meaning is the correct one. Therefore in some languages the locative expression may better occur at the beginning of the clause; for example, “as in the desert Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole.”

Must be lifted up does not mean that an obligation is imposed to lift up the Son of Man in a similar fashion. It is a statement of emphatic prophecy, and therefore the equivalent expression may be “the Son of Man will be lifted up in precisely the same way” or “it is certain that the Son of Man will be lifted up in just this same way.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .