Leviticus 10

1 And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, take each his censer, and put in them fire, and put on it perfume, and bring near before Jehovah strange fire, which He hath not commanded them;

2 and fire goeth out from before Jehovah, and consumeth them, and they die before Jehovah.

3 And Moses saith unto Aaron, `It [is] that which Jehovah hath spoken, saying, By those drawing near to Me I am sanctified, and in the face of all the people I am honoured;' and Aaron is silent.

4 And Moses calleth unto Mishael and unto Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, uncle of Aaron, and saith unto them, `Come near, bear your brethren from the front of the sanctuary unto the outside of the camp;'

5 and they come near, and bear them in their coats unto the outside of the camp, as Moses hath spoken.

6 And Moses saith unto Aaron, and to Eleazar, and to Ithamar his sons, `Your heads ye do not uncover, and your garments ye do not rend, that ye die not, and on all the company He be wroth; as to your brethren, the whole house of Israel, they bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled;

7 and from the opening of the tent of meeting ye do not go out, lest ye die, for the anointing oil of Jehovah [is] upon you;' and they do according to the word of Moses.

8 And Jehovah speaketh unto Aaron, saying,

9 `Wine and strong drink thou dost not drink, thou, and thy sons with thee, in your going in unto the tent of meeting, and ye die not -- a statute age-during to your generations;

10 so as to make a separation between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the pure;

11 and to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.'

12 And Moses speaketh unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar his sons, who are left, `Take ye the present that is left from the fire-offerings of Jehovah, and eat it unleavened near the altar, for it [is] most holy,

13 and ye have eaten it in the holy place, for it [is] thy portion, and the portion of thy sons, from the fire-offerings of Jehovah; for so I have been commanded.

14 `And the breast of the wave-offering, and the leg of the heave-offering, ye do eat in a clean place, thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee; for thy portion and the portion of thy sons they have been given, out of the sacrifices of peace-offerings of the sons of Israel;

15 the leg of the heave-offering, and breast of the wave-offering, besides fire-offerings of the fat, they do bring in to wave a wave-offering before Jehovah, and it hath been to thee, and to thy sons with thee, by a statute age-during, as Jehovah hath commanded.'

16 And the goat of the sin-offering hath Moses diligently sought, and lo, it is burnt, and he is wroth against Eleazar, and against Ithamar, sons of Aaron, who are left, saying,

17 `Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the holy place, for it [is] most holy -- and it He hath given to you to take away the iniquity of the company, to make atonement for them before Jehovah?

18 lo, its blood hath not been brought in unto the holy place within; eating ye do eat it in the holy place, as I have commanded.'

19 And Aaron speaketh unto Moses, `Lo, to-day they have brought near their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before Jehovah; and [things] like these meet me, yet I have eaten a sin-offering to-day; is it good in the eyes of Jehovah?'

20 And Moses hearkeneth, and it is good in his eyes.

Leviticus 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

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)

Verses 1-2 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.

Verses 3-7 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.

Verses 8-11 Do not drink wine or strong drink. During the time they ministered, the priests were forbidden it. It is required of ( 1 Timothy. 3:3 ) 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.

Verses 12-20 Afflictions should rather quicken us to our duty, than take us from it. But our unfitness for duty, when it is natural and not sinful, will have great allowances made for it; God will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Let us profit by the solemn warning this history conveys. When professing worshippers come with zeal without knowledge, carnal affections, earthly, light, vain, trifling thoughts, the devices of will-worship, instead of the offering of soul and spirit; then the incense is kindled by a flame which never came down from heaven, which the Spirit of a holy God never sent within their hearts.

Chapter Summary

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.