New King James Version
Leviticus 10:1
1Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.
Leviticus 10:1 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now 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 before the Lord, which he had not commanded them.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.
Context of Leviticus 10:1
Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.
Read all of Leviticus 10Leviticus 10:1 word by word
וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Nadabנָדָבnâdâb · NadabH5070
- and Abihuאֲבִיהוּא'ăbîyhû' · AbihuH30
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- eitherאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- of them his censerמַחְתָּהmachtâh · censerH4289
- and putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- thereinהֵןhên · they(fem.)H2004
- and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- incenseקְטֹ֫רֶתqeţôreth · incenseH7004
- thereon, and offeredקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
- strangeזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- which he commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
Cross-references for Leviticus 10:1
- Leviticus 16:1Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died;
- Leviticus 22:9‘They shall therefore keep My ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profane it: I the Lord sanctify them.
- Exodus 6:23Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- Exodus 24:1Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.
- Exodus 28:1“Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- Numbers 3:3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.
- Numbers 26:61And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.
- Leviticus 16:12Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil.
- Exodus 27:3Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.
- Exodus 38:3He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze.
- Numbers 16:6Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;
- Hebrews 9:4which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
- Exodus 30:1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
- Exodus 31:11and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”
- Exodus 37:29He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.
- Exodus 40:27and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Commentaries on Leviticus 10:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Nadab and Abihu - The two elder sons of Aaron Exodus 6:23; Numbers 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.” Exodus 24:1-2. Censer - See Exodus 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. And we may reasonably unite…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The sin and death of Nadab and Abihu. (1-2) Aaron and his sons forbidden to mourn for Nadab and Abihu. (3-7) Wine forbidden to the priests when in the service of the tabernacle. (8-11) Of eating the holy things. (12-20) Verses 1-2 Next to Moses and Aaron, none were more likely to be honourable in Israel than Nadab and Abihu. There is reason to think that they were puffed up with pride, and that they were heated with wine. While the people were prostrate…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu (Exodus 6:23): These were Aaron's oldest sons who had gone with Moses and the seventy elders to Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1, 9). They also saw the great theophany (appearance of God) there. They died without male children (see also Exodus 28:1; Numbers 3:2–4; 26:60–61; 1 Chronicles 6:3; 24:1–2). censers: These were fire pans or trays for holding hot coals. They sprinkled incense on them (Exodus 30:34–38; see also Leviticus…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. the sons of Aaron, &c.--If this incident occurred at the solemn period of the consecrating and dedicating the altar, these young men assumed an office which had been committed to Moses; or if it were some time after, it was an encroachment on duties which devolved on their father alone as the high priest. But the offense was of a far more aggravated nature than such a mere informality would imply. It consisted not only in their venturing unauthorized…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 10:1
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries