Numbers 3:4

Numbers 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father.
• New International Version (NIV)Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

Context of Numbers 3:4

2The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab was the firstborn son. 3Aaron anointed them, and he gave authority to them to work as priests. But Nadab and Abihu fell down and died in front of the Lord. That happened when they offered strange fire to the Lord in the Sinai desert. They had no children. So only Eleazar and Ithamar worked as priests while their father Aaron was alive. 5Then the Lord said to Moses, 6‘Bring the tribe of Levi to Aaron the priest. They must help him.

Numbers 3:4 word by word

וַיָּ֣מָת נָדָ֣ב וַאֲבִיה֣וּא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֡ה בְּֽהַקְרִבָם֩ אֵ֨שׁ זָרָ֜ה לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָי֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וַיְכַהֵ֤ן אֶלְעָזָר֙ וְאִ֣יתָמָ֔ר עַל־פְּנֵ֖י אַהֲרֹ֥ן אֲבִיהֶֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Nadabנָדָבnâdâb · NadabH5070
• and Abihuאֲבִיהוּא'ăbîyhû' · AbihuH30
• diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• when they offeredקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
• strangeזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
• fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• of Sinaiסִינַיsîynay · (Wilderness of) SinaiH5514
• and they had no childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and Eleazarאֶלְעָזָר'el‛âzâr · EleazarH499
• and Ithamarאִיתָמָר'îythâmâr · IthamarH385
• ministered in the priest’s officeכָּהַןkâhan · to ministerH3547
• of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• their fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for Numbers 3:4

• Numbers 26:61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire to the Lord.
• Leviticus 10:1Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron. They put hot material in the pots that they used to burn incense. They threw incense over the hot material. They offered the incense to the Lord. This was a wrong thing to do. The Lord had not told them that they should do it. So it was wrong.

Commentaries on Numbers 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Nadab and Abihu died - See the notes on Leviticus 10 (note).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (see Leviticus 10:1–2) showed the need to protect the holiness of the sanctuary and to strictly obey God's instructions (Numbers 26:61; Leviticus 16:1; 1 Chronicles 24:2; compare Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 10:6–11; 11:29–30). Eleazar and Ithamar: See “Eleazar” Profile.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron--All the sons of Aaron, four in number, were consecrated to minister in the priest's office. The two oldest enjoyed but a brief term of office (Le 10:1, 2; Nu 3:4; 26:61); but Eleazar and Ithamar, the other two, were dutiful, and performed the sacred service during the lifetime of their father, as his assistants, and under his superintendence.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 3:4

• Abihu
• Nadab
• Sacrilege

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Eleazar
• Sinai
• Sinai, or Sinai
• Sinai, Horeb
• Strange, Fire
• Abihu
• Chief
• Conclude
• Custody

Commentaries on Numbers 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings