Leviticus10
New American Standard
1Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on the fire and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.
2And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
3Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.
4Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to an area outside of the camp.”
5So they came forward and carried them, still in their tunics, to an area outside the camp, just as Moses had said.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you do not die and He does not become wrathful against all the congregation. But your kinsmen, the entire house of Israel, shall weep for the burning which the Lord has brought about.
7You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.
8The Lord then spoke to Aaron, saying,
9“Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you do not die—it is a permanent statute throughout your generations—
10and to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,
11and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”
12Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that is left over from the Lord’s offerings by fire and eat it as unleavened bread beside the altar, for it is most holy.
13You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the Lord’s offerings by fire; for so I have been commanded.
14The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.
15They shall bring the thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving, along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the Lord; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the Lord has commanded.”
16But Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying,
17“Why did you not eat the sin offering at the holy place? For it is most holy, and He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.
18Behold, since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded!”
19But Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the Lord?”
20When Moses heard that, it was good in his sight.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 10.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The sin and death of Nadab and Abihu. (1, 2). Aaron and his sons forbidden to mourn for Nadab and Abihu. (3–7). Wine forbidden to the priests when in the service of the tabernacle. (8–11). Of eating the holy things. (12–20).
vv1-2
Next to Moses and Aaron, none were more likely to be honourable in Israel than Nadab and Abihu. There is reason to think that they were puffed up with pride, and that they were heated with wine. While the people were prostrate before the Lord, adoring his presence and glory, they rushed into the tabernacle to burn incense, though not at the appointed time; both together, instead of one alone, and with fire not taken from the altar. If it had been done through ignorance, they had been allowed to bring a sin-offering. But the soul that doeth presumptuously, and in contempt of God's majesty and justice, that soul shall be cut off. The wages of sin is death. They died in the very act of their sin. The sin and punishment of these priests showed the imperfection of that priesthood from the very beginning, and that it could not shelter any from the fire of God's wrath, otherwise than as it was typical of Christ's priesthood.
vv3-7
The most quieting considerations under affliction are fetched from the word of God. What was it that God spake? Though Aaron's heart must have been filled with anguish and dismay, yet with silent submission he revered the justice of the stroke. When God corrects us or ours for sin, it is our duty to accept the punishment, and say, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. Whenever we worship God, we come nigh unto him, as spiritual priests. This ought to make us very serious in all acts of devotion. It concerns us all, when we come nigh to God, to do every religious exercise, as those who believe that the God with whom we have to do, is a holy God. He will take vengeance on those that profane his sacred name by trifling with him.
vv8-11
Do not drink wine or strong drink. During the time they ministered, the priests were forbidden it. It is required of gospel ministers, that they be not given to wine, 1Ti 3:3. It is, Lest ye die; die when ye are in drink. The danger of death, to which we are continually exposed, should engage all to be sober.
Key Words
נָדָב: Nadab, the name of four Israelites
אֲבִיהוּא: Abihu, a son of Aaron
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
מַחְתָּה: a pan for live coals
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
אֵשׁ: fire (literally or figuratively)
הֵן: they (only used when emphatic)
Cross References
Leviticus 10Priests drawing near to God must sanctify themselves, the exact background warning Moses refers to here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct prohibition of offering 'strange incense' on the altar, which Nadab and Abihu violated.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Requirement for ministers to not be given to wine, parallel to the priestly restriction.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Ezekiel's temple vision reiterates the prohibition against priests drinking wine when entering the inner court.
Supported by John Calvin
The holy fire from heaven just sent by God, which they ignored in favor of common fire.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ananias and Sapphira represent a parallel New Testament judgment at the start of a new dispensation.
Supported by JFB
Genealogy showing Uzziel as Aaron's uncle, identifying Mishael and Elzaphan as cousins/brethren.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The priest's lips should keep knowledge, acting as the messenger of the Lord to teach statutes.
Supported by John Calvin
Historical recap of Nadab and Abihu dying before the Lord for offering strange fire.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's promise that the tabernacle shall be sanctified by His glory.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Contrasts standard mourning rites like uncovered heads with the restriction placed on Aaron's family.
Supported by Matthew Poole
High priest forbidden from leaving the sanctuary for dead relatives because of the anointing oil.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Law of the meal offering and sin offering designated as most holy for Aaron's sons.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Aaron bearing the iniquity of the holy things, illustrating the priest's role in bearing sin.
Supported by JFB
Bread eaten in mourning is defiled; supports Aaron's defense that eating under grief was unacceptable.
Supported by Matthew Poole