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.
Anything that can survive fire, you must put through the fire, and it will be clean. But even then, it must also be purified with the special cleansing water. And everything that cannot survive fire, you must put through the water instead.
God is giving specific instructions for purifying items taken in battle - some things need fire, some need water, and some need both to be ceremonially clean.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes after Israel's battle against the Midianites, where they captured many possessions and spoils of war. According to Old Testament law, anything taken from pagan nations needed to be ritually purified before it could be used by God's people. The 'water of separation' was a special mixture used for ceremonial cleansing, made with the ashes of a red heifer.
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