Leviticus 10:2-12

2 And fire 1came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said, 'Among 2those who are near me 3I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'"4And Aaron held his peace.
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of 5Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp."
5 So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, 6"Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and 7wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled.
7 8And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, 9for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.
8 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying,
9 10"Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
10 You are to 11distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,
11 and 12you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses."
12 Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his surviving sons: "Take the 13grain offering that is left of the LORD's food offerings, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for 14it is most holy.

Leviticus 10:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 10

This chapter begins with the sin and punishment of two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Le 10:1-5 for whose death Aaron and his sons are commanded not to mourn, nor to depart from the tabernacle, Le 10:6,7 and an order is given, prohibiting the priests from drinking wine when they went into it, Le 10:8-11 the law of eating holy things, both those that were more, and those that were less holy, is enjoined, Le 10:12-15 and the flesh of the sin offering not being eaten, but burnt, Aaron's sons are blamed for it, for which he makes an apology to the satisfaction of Moses, Le 10:16-20.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Leviticus 9:24; Numbers 16:35; [2 Samuel 6:7]
  • 2. Leviticus 21:17, 21
  • 3. Ezekiel 28:22
  • 4. [Psalms 39:9]
  • 5. Exodus 6:18, 22; Numbers 3:19, 30
  • 6. Leviticus 13:45; Leviticus 21:10; Ezekiel 24:16, 17
  • 7. Numbers 1:53; Numbers 16:22, 46; Numbers 18:5; Joshua 7:1; Joshua 22:18, 20
  • 8. Leviticus 21:12
  • 9. Leviticus 8:30
  • 10. Ezekiel 44:21; [Numbers 6:3, 20; Luke 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:3, 8]
  • 11. Leviticus 11:47; Leviticus 20:25; Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23
  • 12. Leviticus 14:57; Deuteronomy 24:8; Neh. 8:2, 8, 9; [Jeremiah 18:18; Malachi 2:7]
  • 13. Leviticus 6:16; Numbers 18:9, 10
  • 14. See Leviticus 6:17
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.