Numbers 31 · Verse 23

Numbers 31:23

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.
Numbers 31:23, King James Version

Numbers 31:23 in other translations

BSBeverything that can withstand the fire—must be put through the fire, and it will be clean. But it must still be purified with the water of purification. And everything that cannot withstand the fire must pass through the water.
WEBeverything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water.
ASVeverything that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water for impurity: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.
YLTevery thing which may go into fire, ye cause to pass over through fire, and it hath been clean; only, with the water of separation it is cleansed, and all that may not go into fire, ye cause to pass over through water;
DARBYeverything that passeth through the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; only it shall be purified with the water of separation; and everything that cannot pass through the fire ye shall make go through the water.
BBEAnd anything which may be heated, is to go through the fire and be made clean; but in addition it is to be put in the water of cleaning: and anything which may not go through the fire is to be put in the water.
WebsterEvery 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.

What does Numbers 31:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 31:19-24

19-24. 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…

Read the full comment on Numbers 31:19-24 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 The water of separation - The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See Num 8:7 (note), Num 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 31:19-24

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 full comment on Numbers 31:19-24 →

Numbers 31:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כָּל\־kol-everyH3605
דָּבָ֞רda.VarthingH1697
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
יָבֹ֣אya.Vo'it will goH935
בָאֵ֗שׁva.'Eshin the fireH784
תַּעֲבִ֤ירוּta.'a.Vi.ruyou will make passH5674
בָאֵשׁ֙va.'Eshin the fireH784
וְטָהֵ֔רve.ta.Herand it will be pureH2891
אַ֕ךְ'akhneverthelessH389
בְּמֵ֥יbe.Meiby [the] water ofH4325
נִדָּ֖הni.DahimpurityH5079
יִתְחַטָּ֑אyit.cha.Ta'it will purify itselfH2398
וְכֹ֨לve.Kholand allH3605
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherthatH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יָבֹ֛אya.Vo'it will goH935
בָּאֵ֖שׁba.'Eshin the fireH784
תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּta.'a.Vi.ruyou will make passH5674
בַמָּֽיִם\׃va.Ma.yimin the waterH4325

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 31:23

  • Numbers 19:9

    And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:13

    Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

  • Numbers 19:17

    And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

  • Matthew 3:11

    I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

  • Isaiah 43:2

    When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

  • Leviticus 11:32

    And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

  • Numbers 8:7

    And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

  • Revelation 3:18

    I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

  • Malachi 2:2-3

    If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

  • 1 Peter 3:21

    The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

  • Zechariah 13:9

    And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

  • 1 Peter 4:12

    Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
abide.
Isa 43:2; Zec 13:9; Mal 2:2,3; Mt 3:11; 1Co 3:13; 1Pe 1:7; 4:12
Re 3:18
it shall be purified.
8:7; 19:9,17
ye shall make.
Le 11:32; 15:17; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5,6; 1Pe 3:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 31:22

    Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

  • Numbers 31:23

    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.

  • Numbers 31:24

    And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

Read all of Numbers 31

Numbers 31:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Todo lo que resiste el fuego, por fuego lo haréis pasar, y será limpio, bien que en las aguas de purificación habrá de purificarse: mas haréis pasar por agua todo lo que no aguanta el fuego.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
tout ce qui peut supporter le feu, vous le ferez passer par le feu, et ce sera pur; seulement, on le purifiera avec l’eau de séparation; et tout ce qui ne peut pas supporter le feu, vous le ferez passer par l’eau.
German
Elberfelder 1871
alles, was das Feuer verträgt, sollt ihr durchs Feuer gehen lassen, und es wird rein sein; nur soll es mit dem Wasser der Reinigung entsündigt werden; und alles, was das Feuer nicht verträgt, sollt ihr durchs Wasser gehen lassen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et omne, quod potest transire per flammas, igne purgabitur: quidquid autem ignem non potest sustinere, aqua expiationis sanctificabitur: