Leviticus 10:7

7 But ye shall not go out of the gates of the tabernacle, else ye shall perish; for the oil of holy anointing is on you (But ye shall not leave the entrance to the Tabernacle, for ye shall perish, for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you). The which did all things by the behest of Moses.

Leviticus 10:7 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 10:7

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation, lest ye die
That is, they were not to relinquish the service of the sanctuary, on the account of the death of these relations of theirs, and through grief for it, but go on in it; not Aaron on account of his children, nor his sons on account of their brethren: from hence, says Ben Gersom, we learn, that whatsoever priest leaves his service, and goes out of the sanctuary, is guilty of death: some think the seven days of consecration were not quite over, during which time Aaron and his sons were obliged to continue there, on pain of death, ( Leviticus 8:33 Leviticus 8:35 ) but it is pretty plain those days were over, and that it was the day after the consecration was finished; see ( Leviticus 9:1 ) and (See Gill on Leviticus 10:2) wherefore this respects their continuance in the tabernacle on the day the above affair happened, and they were obliged to continue in and go through the service of the day, notwithstanding that:

for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you;
a learned man F15 infers from hence, that this affair happened within the days of consecration, they being every day afresh anointed with oil, at least had it, with the blood of the sacrifices, sprinkled on them, on their garments, taking it in the strict sense, for the oil being still upon them; whereas it seems only to signify, that inasmuch as they were consecrated with oil to the priest's office, they were under obligation to continue and perform their service without being let or hindered by what had happened:

and they did according to the word of Moses;
they showed no tokens of mourning on account of the dead, and did not offer to go out of the tabernacle and leave their service.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 353.

Leviticus 10:7 In-Context

5 And anon they went, and took them, as they lay clothed with linen coats, and casted them out, as it was commanded to them. (And at once they went, and took them, as they lay clothed in their linen shirts, or in their linen robes, and cast them out, as it was commanded to them.)
6 And Moses spake to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, Do not ye make naked your heads, and do not ye rend your clothes, lest peradventure ye die, and (the) indignation of God rise upon all the company; (but let) your brethren and all the house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath raised up. (And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons, Do not ye make your heads naked, and do not ye tear your clothes, lest ye die, and God's indignation rise up against all the congregation; but let your brothers and all the house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath raised up.)
7 But ye shall not go out of the gates of the tabernacle, else ye shall perish; for the oil of holy anointing is on you (But ye shall not leave the entrance to the Tabernacle, for ye shall perish, for the Lord's anointing oil is upon you). The which did all things by the behest of Moses.
8 Also the Lord said to Aaron, (And the Lord said to Aaron,)
9 Thou and thy sons shall not drink wine, and all thing that may make drunken, when ye shall enter into the tabernacle of witnessing, lest ye die; for it is everlasting behest into your generations, (Thou and thy sons shall not drink wine, or anything that can make ye drunk, when ye shall enter into the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, lest ye die; this is an everlasting law for all your generations,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.