New Living Translation
Numbers 3:4
4But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.
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 Aaron’s sons were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron. 5Then the Lord said to Moses, 6“Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants.
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 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 26:61But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.
- Leviticus 10:1Aaron’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.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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