English Standard Version
Leviticus 10:9
9"Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
Leviticus 10:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
- New International Version (NIV)“You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation.
Context of Leviticus 10:9
7And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses. 8And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, "Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, 11and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses."
Read all of Leviticus 10Leviticus 10:9 word by word
יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֞ר אַל־תֵּ֣שְׁתְּ׀ אַתָּ֣ה׀ וּבָנֶ֣יךָ אִתָּ֗ךְ בְּבֹאֲכֶ֛ם אֶל־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֑תוּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Do not drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- nor strong drinkשֵׁכָרshêkâr · strong drinkH7941
- thou, nor thy sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- with thee, when ye goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
- of the congregationמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meetingH4150
- lest ye dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- a statuteחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
- for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- throughout your generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
Cross-references for Leviticus 10:9
- Numbers 6:3he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried.
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,
- Isaiah 28:7These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
- Jeremiah 35:5Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, "Drink wine."
- Ezekiel 44:21No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.
- Luke 1:15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
- Ephesians 5:18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
- 1 Timothy 3:3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
- 1 Timothy 5:23(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)
- Leviticus 3:17It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood."
Commentaries on Leviticus 10:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Do not drink wine nor strong drink - The cabalistical commentator, Baal Hatturim, and others, have supposed, from the introduction of this command here, that Aaron's sons had sinned through excess of wine, and that they had attempted to celebrate the Divine service in a state of inebriation. Strong drink - The word שכר shechar, from shachar, to inebriate, signifies any kind of fermented liquors. This is exactly the same prohibition that was given in the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-11Verses 9-11 When the priest was on duty he was to abstain from wine and strong drink, lest he should commit excess (see Leviticus 10:1), and so become disqualified for carrying out the precepts of the ceremonial Law. Leviticus 10:9 Strong drink - The Hebrew word is employed here to denote strong drinks of any kind except wine made from the grape. Leviticus 10:10 Unholy unclean - Common, as not consecrated; and what would occasion defilement by being…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-11Verses 8-11 Do not drink wine or strong drink. During the time they ministered, the priests were forbidden it. It is required of gospel ministers, that they be not given to wine, 1Ti 3:3. It is, Lest ye die; die when ye are in drink. The danger of death, to which we are continually exposed, should engage all to be sober.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10The placement of this instruction suggests that Nadab and Abihu might have been drinking alcohol when they offered the "unauthorized fire" (Leviticus 10:1). Priests should not drink anything that could impair their judgment before serving in the tabernacle. the Lord said to Aaron: Previously, God communicated only with Moses, but now he accepted Aaron as the people's representative and spoke directly to him. The word common means "secular" or "ordinary."…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-118-11. Do not drink wine nor strong drink--This prohibition, and the accompanying admonitions, following immediately the occurrence of so fatal a catastrophe [Le 10:1, 2], has given rise to an opinion entertained by many, that the two disobedient priests were under the influence of intoxication when they committed the offense which was expiated only by their lives. But such an idea, though the presumption is in its favor, is nothing more than conjecture.Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 10:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 10
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries