The Meaning of Numbers 31:23 Explained

Numbers 31:23

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.

YLT: every 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;

Darby: everything 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.

ASV: everything 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 31:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 31:21-54 - The Disposition Of The Spoils Of War
This law, which subjected the victors to a whole week of separation and to special purification, instead of an immediate welcome into the camp, was intended to wean the Hebrews from the practice of war, giving them a higher standard than that of surrounding nations. Thus God educates us, by placing before us an ever higher standard, as we are able to obey it. It is easy to say hard things against this treatment of Midian, but extermination is sometimes the only way to safety.
For us the lesson is one of rigid separation. Some may be able to stand God's searching fire; but others cannot bear that flame. Yet these may not go altogether free. See Numbers 31:23. As strangers and pilgrims we must abstain from fleshly lusts. God demands our holiness, but discriminates in the method of producing it. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 31

1  The Midianites are spoiled, and Balaam slain
13  Moses is angry with the officers, for saving the women alive
19  How the soldiers, with their captives and spoil, are to be purified
25  The proportion in which the prey is to be divided
48  The voluntary offering unto the treasure of the Lord

What do the individual words in Numbers 31:23 mean?

every thing that can endure fire you shall put through the fire and it shall be clean indeed with the water of purification it shall be purified but all that cannot endure fire through water
כָּל־ דָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־ יָבֹ֣א בָאֵ֗שׁ תַּעֲבִ֤ירוּ בָאֵשׁ֙ וְטָהֵ֔ר אַ֕ךְ בְּמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה יִתְחַטָּ֑א וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־ יָבֹ֛א בָּאֵ֖שׁ בַמָּֽיִם

כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
דָּבָ֞ר  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָבֹ֣א  can  endure 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בָאֵ֗שׁ  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
תַּעֲבִ֤ירוּ  you  shall  put 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בָאֵשׁ֙  through  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וְטָהֵ֔ר  and  it  shall  be  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.
אַ֕ךְ  indeed 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
בְּמֵ֥י  with  the  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
נִדָּ֖ה  of  purification 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נִדָּה  
Sense: impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart.
יִתְחַטָּ֑א  it  shall  be  purified 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
וְכֹ֨ל  but  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לֹֽא־  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָבֹ֛א  endure 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בָּאֵ֖שׁ  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
בַמָּֽיִם  through  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.