Leviticus 10

Leviticus 10

Leviticus 10:1 But Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire to Yahveh’s face, which he had not commanded them.

Leviticus 10:2 And fire came out from Yahveh’s face and consumed them, and they died at Yahveh’s face.

Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahveh spoke when he said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and to all the people’s face I will be glorified.'” And Aaron kept still.

Leviticus 10:4 And Moses invited Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the face of the sanctuary and out of the camp.”

Leviticus 10:5 So they came near and carried them in their shirts out of the camp, as Moses had said.

Leviticus 10:6 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, or else you will die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, mourn over the burning that Yahveh has kindled.

Leviticus 10:7 And do not go outside the entrance of the conference tent, or else[1] you will die, because the anointing oil of Yahveh is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Leviticus 10:8 And Yahveh spoke to Aaron, and this is what he said,

Leviticus 10:9 “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the conference tent, or else you will die. It will be a permanent prescription throughout your generations.

Leviticus 10:10 You are to divide between the sacred and the common, and between the contaminated and the pure,

Leviticus 10:11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the prescriptions that Yahveh has spoken to them by Moses.”

Leviticus 10:12 Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his surviving sons: “Take the tribute offering that is left of Yahveh’s fire offerings, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, because it is most sacred.

Leviticus 10:13 You will eat it in a sacred place, because it is your prescription and your sons’ prescription, from Yahveh’s fire offerings, because so I am commanded.

Leviticus 10:14 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you will eat in a pure place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, because they are given as your prescription and your sons’ prescription from the sacrifices for healthy relationships of the people of Israel.

Leviticus 10:15 The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they will bring with the fire offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a wave offering to Yahveh’s face, and it will be yours and your sons’ with you as a permanent prescription, as Yahveh has commanded.”

Leviticus 10:16 Now Moses diligently enquired about the goat of the failure offering, and he noticed it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, and this is what he said,

Leviticus 10:17 “Why have you not eaten the failure offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most sacred and has been given to you that you may be responsible for the violation of the congregation, to provide reconciliation for them to Yahveh’s face?

Leviticus 10:18 Notice, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”

Leviticus 10:19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Notice, today they have offered their failure offering and their ascending offering to Yahveh’s face, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the failure offering today, would Yahveh have approved?”

Leviticus 10:20 And when Moses heard that, he approved.

[1] פֶּן= or else.

Leviticus 10 quotes:

“First, it is just possible that Aaron’s sons had been drunk at the time of the unauthorised fire experience, since the Lord tells Aaron seemingly out of the blue in Leviticus 10:9 that they should not drink fermented drink when they go into the Tent of Meeting, or they would die.”

“Furthermore, later on in Leviticus 10 Aaron incurs the wrath of Moses because his two remaining sons make another elementary mistake—remember that all these regulations were brand new to the people, and they didn’t have years of tradition or experience to fall back on. This time Aaron, in some exasperation I have no doubt, pleads his cause with Moses, who understands the extenuating circumstances and lets him off. Once again God makes it clear that although the letter of the law is important, it is the attitude of its adherents that is more important—a fact that Jesus himself was quick enough to point out: ‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law— justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former’ (Mt 23:23).”

Fergusson, John. Holy Fire. Kingsway Publications, 1996. pp. 52, 53.

“The word “strange” in Leviticus 10:1 comes from the Hebrew word zar. It is the same word that is used to describe a false god in Psalm 81:9. It is the word used to signify an immoral woman in Proverbs 2:16. It is the word used to denote illegitimate children in Hosea 5:7. Therefore, the “strange fire” must have been taken from somewhere other than the divinely appointed place and was, therefore, unacceptable to God.”

Harris, J. Gerald. Pardoned to Be Priests. Broadman Press, 1988. p. 32.

“This biblical principle has enormous implications. No human being has the right to introduce into religious practice an activity for which the Scriptures provide no approval. We human beings are simply not free in God’s sight to fashion religion and morality according to our own desires. Cain learned that the hard way when he did not offer the precise sacrifice that God had designated (Genesis 4:5-7; Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12). The lives of Nadab and Abihu were snuffed out by God because of what they viewed as a minor adjustment in their offering (Leviticus 10:1-2). They were the right boys, at the right time and place, with the right censers, and the right incense—but the wrong fire. This deviation from God’s precise specifications was “unauthorized” (NIV) fire “which He had not commanded them” (NKJV). The change failed to show God as holy and give Him the respect He deserves (Leviticus 10:3).”

Miller, Dave. Surrendering to His Lordship : The Principle of Authority in the Bible. Apologetics Press, 2012. p. 5.