Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses: however the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, everything 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.
Show the surrounding paragraph
Numbers 31:21-23 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses: however the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, everything 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. You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward you shall come into the camp.”
Parallel Translations
-
Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded Moses:
however the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
everything 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.
-
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;
Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
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.
Show all 3 translations
-
And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle: 'This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded Moses:
Howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
every thing 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 of sprinkling; and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.
Cross-references (17)
- Numbers 19:9 (v23) “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for…
- Numbers 19:17 (v23) “For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured on them in a vessel.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13 (v23) each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of…
- Isaiah 43:2 (v23) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire,…
- Matthew 3:11 (v23) I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will…
Show all 17 cross-references
- Leviticus 11:32 (v23) Anything they fall on when they are dead shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel…
- Leviticus 15:17 (v23) Every garment and every skin which the semen is on shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening.
- Numbers 8:7 (v23) You shall do this to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let…
- Numbers 30:16 (v21) These are the statutes which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in…
- Zechariah 13:9 (v23) I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested. They will…
- Malachi 2:2-3 (v23) If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then I will send the curse…
- Ephesians 5:26 (v23) that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
- Titus 3:5-6 (v23) not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and…
- 1 Peter 1:7 (v23) that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in…
- 1 Peter 3:21 (v23) This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward…
- 1 Peter 4:12 (v23) Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.
- Revelation 3:18 (v23) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv21, 23 Or, contained in the law.
Or, contained in the law.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v23 Num 31:23 Every thing that may abide the fire,…
Num 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.
Ver. 23. And all that abideth not the fire.] We must deal with every man, saith one from this text, according to his temper; indulge them what lawfully you may. Quod tamen accipiendum est cum grano salis.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv21–23 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh…
And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day,.... As the leper did, Lev 14:9,
and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp; into the camp of Israel, into the camp of the Levites, and into the camp of God, the tabernacle.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v23 Verse 23. The water of separation] The water in…
Verse 23. The water of separation] The water in which the ashes of the red heifer were mingled; See Clarke on Nu 8:7; "Nu 19:2", &c. 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's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v22 Brass - Render copper. See Gen 4:22 note. The…
Brass - Render copper. See Gen 4:22 note. The verse is curious as illustrating the variety of metals in use at this early date for domestic purposes. All these metals were common in Egypt centuries before the date of the Exodus.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v23 Expiation, with which even the vessels which had been…
Expiation, with which even the vessels which had been through the fire, were to be purified, or washed, as the Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., observe. (Calmet) --- Moses perhaps gave this ordinance by word of mouth, on this occasion, (Menochius) though something similar be prescribed before, Leviticus vi. 28., xi. 33, and xv. 12.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv21, 23 21–24. Further injunctions given by Eleazar, drawing a distinction…
21–24. Further injunctions given by Eleazar, drawing a distinction between objects which could not stand purification by fire, and metals which could.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv21–23 And Eleazar the priest said, This is the ordinance…
And Eleazar the priest said, This is the ordinance of the law (hrwOTh tQju, "law-statute, as in Num_19:2) which the Lord commanded Moses. There is something peculiar in this expression which points to the probability, either that this paragraph (verses 21-24) was added after the death of Moses, or that "the law was already beginning, even in the lifetime of Moses, to assume the position which it after. wards held that, viz., of a fixed code to be interpreted and applied by the living authority of the priesthood. This is the earliest instance of the high priest declaring to the people what the law of God as delivered to Moses was, and then applying and enlarging that law to meet the present circumstances. It is no doubt possible that Eleazar referred the matter to Moses, but it would seem on the face of the narrative that he spoke on his own authority as high priest. When we compare the ceremonial of the later Jews, so precisely and minutely ordered for every conceivable contingency, with the Mosaic legislation itself, it is evident that the process of authoritative amplification must have been going on from the first; but it is certainly strange to find that process begun while Moses himself was alive and active.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v21 General Information:
General Information:
Eleazar teaches the soldiers the customs of becoming ceremonially clean before Yahweh after going to war.
Read full note →
gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead
metals that were used during that time period
that resists fire
"that will not burn"
put it through the fire
"put it into the fire"
water of cleansing
This refers to water that someone has mixed with ashes from a sin offering. See: Numbers 19:17-19.
then you will become clean
These are the customs of becoming ceremonially clean before Yahweh.
translationWords
Eleazar
decree
law, laws
Moses
gold
silver
bronze
clean
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.