Numbers 31:23

Numbers 31:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.
• New International Version (NIV)and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water.
• New Living Translation (NLT)that is, all metals that do not burn—must be passed through fire in order to be made ceremonially pure. These metal objects must then be further purified with the water of purification. But everything that burns must be purified by the water alone.

Context of Numbers 31:23

21Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who had gone to battle: "This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded Moses: 22only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. 24You must wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. And afterward you may come into the camp." 25The Lord said to Moses,

Numbers 31:23 word by word

כָּל־דָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹ֣א בָאֵ֗שׁ תַּעֲבִ֤ירוּ בָאֵשׁ֙ וְטָהֵ֔ר אַ֕ךְ בְּמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה יִתְחַטָּ֑א וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָבֹ֛א בָּאֵ֖שׁ תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ בַמָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Every thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• that may abideבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• go throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• and it shall be cleanטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
• nevertheless it shall be purifiedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• with the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• of separationנִדָּהniddâh · impurityH5079

Cross-references for Numbers 31:23

• Isaiah 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
• Zechariah 13:9And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'"
• Malachi 2:2If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
• Matthew 3:11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
• 1 Corinthians 3:13each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
• 1 Peter 1:7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 4:12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
• Revelation 3:18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
• Numbers 8:7Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.
• Numbers 19:9And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering.
• Leviticus 11:32And anything on which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any article that is used for any purpose. It must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean.
• Leviticus 15:17And every garment and every skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.
• Ephesians 5:26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
• 1 Peter 3:21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Commentaries on Numbers 31:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The water of separation - The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See Numbers 8:7; (note), Numbers 19:2; (note), etc. Garments, whether of cloth or skins, were to be washed. Gold, silver, brass, iron, tin, and lead, to pass through the fire, probably to be melted down.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-24Verses 19-24 The Israelites had to purify themselves according to the law, and to abide without the camp seven days, though they had not contracted any moral guilt, the war being just and lawful, and commanded by God. Thus God would preserve in their minds a dread and detestation of shedding blood. The spoil had been used by Midianites, and being now come into the possession of Israelites, it was fit that it should be purified.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-24Israelite soldiers who touched dead bodies became ceremonially unclean (ritually impure). They had to go through the required purification rituals. These rituals were routine, but they were important. They also had to purify their equipment (see 5:1–4; 19:1–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2419-24. abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person ... purify both yourselves and your captives--Though the Israelites had taken the field in obedience to the command of God, they had become defiled by contact with the dead. A process of purification was to be undergone, as the law required (Le 15:13; Nu 19:9-12), and this purifying ceremony was extended to dress, houses, tents, to everything on which a dead body had lain, which…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 31:23

• Armies
• Purification
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Water of separation
• Jericho
• Prey
• Purify
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Cleanse
• Fire
• Heifer, Red
• Moses

Commentaries on Numbers 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings