Leviticus 10:9-19

9 "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations,

10 that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

11 and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses."

12 And Moses spoke unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons who were left: "Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due and thy sons' due of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.

14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place, thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee; for they are thy due and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine and thy sons' with thee by a statute for ever, as the LORD hath commanded."

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned; and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, saying,

17 "Why have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place; ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded."

19 And Aaron said unto Moses, "Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and such things have befallen me. And if I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?"

Leviticus 10:9-19 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.