New King James Version
Leviticus 10:9
9“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,
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,
- 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 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
7You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses. 8Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: “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, 10that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of 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 similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
- Isaiah 28:7But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
- Jeremiah 35:5Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls 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 in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
- Ephesians 5:18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
- 1 Timothy 3:3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
- 1 Timothy 5:23No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
- Leviticus 3:17‘This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries