God’s Word Translation
Numbers 31:23
23anything that won’t burn—must be put through fire in order to make it clean. Then it must also be put through the ritual water in order to take away its sin. Whatever might burn must ⌞only⌟ be put through the ritual water.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Numbers 31:23
21Then the priest Eleazar said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what the Lord’s teachings told Moses to do: 22Any gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, or lead— anything that won’t burn—must be put through fire in order to make it clean. Then it must also be put through the ritual water in order to take away its sin. Whatever might burn must ⌞only⌟ be put through the ritual water. 24On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.” 25The Lord said to Moses,
Read all of Numbers 31Numbers 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 go through the sea, I am with you. When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not harm you.
- Zechariah 13:9I will bring this third ⌞of the people⌟ through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people.’ They will reply, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
- Malachi 2:2If you won’t listen and if you won’t consider giving honor to my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “then I’ll send a curse on you, and I’ll curse the blessings you give. Yes, I’ve already cursed them because you don’t carefully consider this.
- Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done.
- 1 Peter 1:7The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.
- 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery troubles that are coming in order to test you. Don’t feel as though something strange is happening to you,
- Revelation 3:18I advise you: Buy gold purified in fire from me so that you may be rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them so that you may keep your shameful, naked body from showing. Buy ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see.
- Numbers 8:7This is what you must do to make them clean: Sprinkle them with water to take away their sins. Make them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Then they will be clean.
- Numbers 19:9“A man who is clean will collect the ashes from the cow and put them in a clean place outside the camp. They will be kept by the community of Israel and used in the water that takes away uncleanness. The cow is an offering for sin.
- Leviticus 11:32When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean ⌞again⌟.
- Leviticus 15:17Any clothes or any leather with semen on it must be washed. It will be unclean until evening.
- Ephesians 5:26He did this to make the church holy by cleansing it, washing it using water along with spoken words.
- 1 Peter 3:21Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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