New International Version
Leviticus 10:9
9“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,
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:
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- 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
7Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said. 8Then the Lord said to Aaron, “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, 10so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through 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 6:3they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,
- Isaiah 28:7And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.
- Jeremiah 35:5Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”
- Ezekiel 44:21No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.
- Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
- Ephesians 5:18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
- 1 Timothy 3:3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
- 1 Timothy 5:23Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
- Leviticus 3:17“ ‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any 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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