Leviticus 10:1
in Leviticus 10Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them.
KJV
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
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This verse in Leviticus 10
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe sons of Aaron also, who set upon the altar a strange fire not commanded by the Lord, were at once blotted out in the sight of the avenging Lord. These examples, you will see, are being followed wherever the tradition which comes from God is despised by lovers of strange doctrine and replaced by teaching of merely human authority.
This site's exposition
and offered strange fire before the LORD
on Leviticus 10:1-2
Nadab and Abihu are Aaron's two eldest sons, and Exodus 24:9 has them going up Sinai with Moses and Aaron and the seventy elders. One verse earlier fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the offering on the altar, and here fire goes out from the LORD and devours the two men, in nearly the same words. The phrase strange fire occurs here for the first time in Scripture, and its only other occurrences, Numbers 3:4 and Numbers 26:61, both name these same two priests. The verse gives one reason, which he commanded them not, and never says what made the fire strange.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Nor do we propose this, dearest brother, without the authority of divine Scripture, when we say that all things are arranged by divine direction by a certain law and by special ordinance, and that none can usurp to himself, in opposition to the bishops and priests, anything which is not of his own right and power. For Korah, Dathan, and Abiram endeavoured to usurp, in opposition to Moses and Aaron the priest, the power of sacrificing; and they did not do without punishment what they unlawfully dared. The sons of Aaron also, who placed strange fire upon the altar, were at once consumed in the sight of an angry Lord; which punishment remains to those who introduce strange water by a false baptism, that the divine vengeance may avenge and chastise when heretics do that in opposition to the Church, which the Church alone is allowed to do.
The Medieval Church1 voice
This is not far from being a sign of our unhappy time, in which some who have attained positions as priests and teachers—merely to mention it is both distressing and sad enough—are consumed by the fire of heavenly vengeance because they prefer the fire of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Now as this was forbidden implicitly; chap. vi, 12, especially when God himself made a comment upon that text, and by sending fire from heaven declared of what fire he there spake; so it is more than probable it was forbidden expressly, though that be not here mentioned, nor was it necessary it should be.
A command not to drink wine or strong drink, and to distinguish between holy and unholy, ver. 8-11. Directions concerning the parts of the burnt-offerings which were to be eaten, ver. 12-15. Moses reproves the priests, but is pacified by Aaron, ver. 16-20.
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It does not appear the they had any orders to burn incense at all at this time. It is true their consecration was completed the day before, and it was part of their work, as priests, to serve at the altar of incense; but, it should seem, the whole service of this solemn day of inauguration was to be performed by Aaron himself, for he slew the sacrifices ( ch. ix.
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4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Nadab and Abihu - The two elder sons of Aaron Exo 6:23; Num 3:2, who were among those invited to accompany Moses when he was going up Mount Sinai, but who were “to worship afar off,” and not “come near the Lord.” Exo 24:1-2. Censer - See Exo 25:38 note. Strange fire - The point of their offence is evidently expressed in this term. This may very probably mean that the incense was lighted at an unauthorized time.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
A precedent of such evil tendency was dangerous, and it was imperatively necessary, therefore, as well for the priests themselves as for the sacred things, that a marked expression of the divine displeasure should be given for doing that which "God commanded them not."
And Nadab and Abihu - took either of them his censer - The manner of burning incense in the temple service was, according to the Jews, as follows: - “One went and gathered the ashes from off the altar into a golden vessel, a second brought a vessel full of incense, and a third brought a censer with fire, and put coals on the altar, and he whose office it was to burn the incense strewed it on the fire at the command of the governor. At the same time all the people went out of the temple from between the porch and the altar. Each day they burned the weight of a hundred denaries of incense, fifty in the morning, and fifty in the evening. The hundred denaries weighed fifty shekels of the sanctuary, each shekel weighing three hundred and twenty barleycorns; and when the priest had burned the incense, he bowed himself down and went his way out. See Maimonides’ Treatise of the Daily Service, chap. iii. So when Zacharias, as his lot fell, burned incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were without at prayer while the incense was burning, Luk 1:9, Luk 1:10. […]
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְח֣וּ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַ֠הֲרֹן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| נָדָ֨ב | nadav | Nadab | H5070 → | |
| וַאֲבִיה֜וּא | vaavihu' | and Abihu | H30 → | |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מַחְתָּת֗וֹ | machtato | censer his | H4289 → | |
| וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ | vaiyitenu | and they put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בָהֵן֙ | vahen | in <the> them | ||
| אֵ֔שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ | vaiyasimu | and they placed | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עָלֶ֖יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קְטֹ֑רֶת | ketoret | incense | H7004 → | 60 times |
| וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ | vaiyakrivu | and they presented | H7126 → | 280 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֵ֣שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| זָרָ֔ה | zarah | strange | H2114 → | 77 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹ֦א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| צִוָּ֖ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֹתָֽם׃ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
וַיִּקְח֣וּand they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] sons of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
אַ֠הֲרֹןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
נָדָ֨בNadab
nadavH5070 →
וַאֲבִיה֜וּאand Abihu
vaavihu'H30 →
אִ֣ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מַחְתָּת֗וֹcenser his
machtatoH4289 →
וַיִּתְּנ֤וּand they put
vaiyitenuH5414 →2011 times
בָהֵן֙in <the> them
vahen
אֵ֔שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּand they placed
vaiyasimuH7760 →584 times
עָלֶ֖יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
קְטֹ֑רֶתincense
ketoretH7004 →60 times
וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּand they presented
vaiyakrivuH7126 →280 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֵ֣שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
זָרָ֔הstrange
zarahH2114 →77 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹ֦אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
צִוָּ֖הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֹתָֽם׃<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 12:32See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.
- Revelation 22:18–19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Proverbs 30:6
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- Deuteronomy 13:18
because you obey the LORD your God, keeping all His commandments I am giving you today and doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
- Deuteronomy 4:2
Through
Numbers 26:61but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.
it leads to
- Leviticus 10:1–2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 10:1–2
Through
Leviticus 16:12Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil.
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:6–7
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 30:34–38
The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,
- Isaiah 6:6–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
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About Leviticus
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonWildernessNadabAaron's eldest son, ordained in Leviticus 8 and killed with his brother Abihu for offering strange fire before Jehovah on the prie…
- PersonWildernessAbihuAaron's second son, killed alongside Nadab for the strange fire Jehovah had not commanded — "I will be sanctified in them that com…
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, On the Tabernacle 3.2; Cyprian, Treatise I. On the Unity of the Church 18-19; Cyprian, Epistle LXXII.8; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.