Leviticus 10:1-7

The Deaths of Nadab and Abihu

1 And Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, and they put fire in them and placed incense on it; then they presented {before} Yahweh illegitimate fire, which he had not commanded them.

2 So fire went out {from before} Yahweh, and it consumed them so that they died {before} Yahweh.

3 Therefore Moses said to Aaron, "This [is] what Yahweh spoke, saying, 'Among those who are close to me I will show myself holy, and {in the presence of} all the people I will display my glory.'" So Aaron was silent.

4 Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle, and he said to them, "Come forward. Carry your brothers from {the front of} the sanctuary to {outside the camp}."

5 So they came forward, and they carried them {outside the camp} in their tunics, just as Moses had ordered.

6 Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "You must not let your hair hang loosely, and you must not tear your garments, so that you will not die and he will be angry with all the community. But your brothers, all the house of Israel, may weep [because of] {the burning that Yahweh caused},

7 but you must not go out from [the] entrance to [the] tent of assembly lest you die, because Yahweh's anointing oil [is] on you." So they did according to Moses' word.

Leviticus 10:1-7 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, the fire
• [b]. Or "and"
• [c]. Literally "to the faces of"
• [d]. Or "And"
• [e]. Literally "from to the faces of"
• [f]. Or "and"
• [g]. Literally "to the faces of"
• [h]. Or "And"
• [i]. Literally "upon the faces of"
• [j]. Or "I will be glorified"
• [k]. Or "And"
• [l]. Or "And"
• [m]. Or "Come near" or "Approach"
• [n]. Literally "the faces of"
• [o]. Literally "from an outside place of the camp"
• [p]. Or "And"
• [q]. Or "came near" or "approached"
• [r]. Literally "to from an outside place of the camp"
• [s]. Or "And"
• [t]. Or "and"
• [u]. That is, God
• [v]. Or "And"
• [w]. Literally "the burning that Yahweh burned"
• [x]. Or "and"
• [y]. Or "of"
• [z]. Or "And"