Leviticus 16:1

1 After the death of Aaron's two sons - they died when they came before God with strange fire - God spoke to Moses:

Leviticus 16:1 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 16:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses, after the death of the two sons
of Aaron
That is, either immediately after their death, and so this chapter would have stood in its natural order next to the tenth; or else after the above laws concerning uncleanness on various accounts were delivered out, designed to prevent the people entering into the tabernacle defiled, whereby they would have incurred the penalty of death; wherefore, as Aben Ezra observes, after the Lord had given cautions to the Israelites, that they might not die, he bid Moses to caution Aaron also, that he might not die as his sons died; these were Nadab and Abihu: when they offered before the Lord, and died;
offered strange fire, and died by flaming fire, as the Targum of Jonathan; or fire sent down from heaven, as Gersom, by lightning; see ( Leviticus 10:1 Leviticus 10:2 ) .

Leviticus 16:1 In-Context

1 After the death of Aaron's two sons - they died when they came before God with strange fire - God spoke to Moses:
2 "Tell your brother Aaron not to enter into the Holy of Holies, barging inside the curtain that's before the Atonement-Cover on the Chest whenever he feels like it, lest he die, because I am present in the Cloud over the Atonement-Cover.
3 "This is the procedure for Aaron when he enters the Holy Place: He will bring a young bull for an Absolution-Offering and a ram for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
4 he will put on the holy linen tunic and the linen underwear, tie the linen sash around him, and put on the linen turban. These are the sacred vestments so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.
5 Then from the Israelite community he will bring two male goats for an Absolution-Offering and a Whole-Burnt-Offering.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.