1 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.

2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

5So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

7And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

9Do 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:

10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

12And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

13And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.

14And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they bethy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,

17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

19And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?

20And when Moses heard that, he was content.

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sonnes of Aaron, tooke either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which hee commaunded them not.

2And there went out fire from the Lord and deuoured them, and they died before the Lord.

3Then Moses said vnto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified: And Aaron held his peace.

4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sonnes of Uzziel, the vncle of Aaron, and said vnto them, Come neere, cary your brethren from before the Sanctuary, out of the campe.

5So they went neere, and caried them in their coats out of the campe, as Moses had said.

6And Moses said vnto Aaron, and vnto Eleazar and vnto Ithamar his sonnes, Uncouer not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come vpon all the people: But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled.

7And ye shal not goe out from the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest you die: for the anointing oyle of the Lord is vpon you: and they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the Lord spake vnto Aaron, saying,

9Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke, thou, nor thy sonnes with thee, when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest yee die: It shall bee a statute for euer, throughout your generations:

10And that ye may put difference betweene holy and vnholy, and betweene vncleane and cleane:

11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken vnto them by the hand of Moses.

12 And Moses spake vnto Aaron, and vnto Eleazar and vnto Ithamar his sonnes that were left, Take the meate offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eate it without leauen, beside the altar: for it is most holy.

13And ye shal eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sonnes due of the sacrifices of the Lord, made by fire: for so I am commanded.

14And the waue breast and heaue shoulder shall ye eate in a cleane place, thou, and thy sonnes, and thy daughters with thee: For they be thy due and thy sonnes due, which are giuen out of the sacrifice of peace offerings, of the children of Israel.

15The heaue shoulder, and the waue breast shal they bring, with the offrings made by fire of the fat, to waue it for a waue offering before the Lord: and it shall bee thine, and thy sonnes with thee, by a statute for euer, as the Lord hath commanded.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goate of the sinne offering, and behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sonnes of Aaron, which were left aliue, saying,

17Wherefore haue ye not eaten the sinne offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath giuen it you to beare the iniquitie of the Congregation, to make atonement for them, before the Lord?

18Behold, the blood of it was not brought in, within the holy place: yee should indeed haue eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

19And Aaron said vnto Moses, Behold, this day haue they offered their sinne offering, and their burnt offering before the Lord: and such things haue befallen me: and if I had eaten the sinne offering to day, should it haue bin accepted in the sight of the Lord?

20And when Moses heard that, he was content.

I == Ex 30:9 ; Lev 16:1 , 12 ; 22:9 ; Num 3:3-4 ; 1st Chr 24:2

 

II == Lev 9:24 ; Num 16:35 ; 2nd Xam 6:7

 

III == Ex 19:22 ; 29:43 ; Lev 21:6 , 17 , 21 ; John 13:31-32 ; 14:13

 

 

IV == Ex 6:18 , 22 ; Num 3:19 , 30 ; Luke 7:12 ; Acts 5:6 , 9-10 ; 8:2

 

 

 

VI == Ex 33:5 ; Lev 13:45 ; 21:1 , 10 ; Josh 7:1 ; 22:18 , 20

 

 

 

VII == Ex 28:41 , Lev 8:30 ; 21:12

 

 

 

 

IX == Ezek 44:21 ; Luke 1:15 ; 1st Tim 3:3 ; Titus 1:7

 

 

X == Lev 11:47 ; 20:25 ; Jer 15:19 ; Ezek 22:6 ; 44:23

XI == Deut 24:8 ; Neh 8:2 , 8-9 , 13 ; Jer 18:18 ; Mal 2:7

 

XII == Ex 29:2 ; Lev 6:16 ; 21:22 ; Num 18:9-10

 

 

 

XIII == Lev 2:3 ; 6:16

 

 

XIV == Ex 29:24 , 26-27 ; Lev 7:31 , 34 ; Num 18:11

 

 

 

XV == Lev 7:29-30 , 34

 

 

 

 

XVI == Lev 9:3 , 15

 

 

 

XVII == Lev 6:26 , 29

 

 

XVIII == Lev 6:26 , 30

 

 

XIX == Lev 9:8 , 12 ; Jer 6:20 ; 14:12 ; Hos 9:4 ; Mal 1:10 , 13

 

 

 

1 During this time Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers and, strewing incense on the fire they had put in them, they offered up before the LORD profane fire, such as he had not authorized.

2 Fire therefore came forth from the LORD'S presence and consumed them, so that they died in his presence.

3 Moses then said to Aaron, "This is as the LORD said: Through those who approach me I will manifest my sacredness; In the sight of all the people I will reveal my glory." But Aaron said nothing.

4 Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, with the order, "Come, remove your kinsmen from the sanctuary and carry them to a place outside the camp."

5 So they went in and took them, in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had commanded.

6 Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not bare your heads or tear your garments, lest you bring not only death on yourselves but God's wrath also on the whole community. Your kinsmen, the rest of the house of Israel, shall mourn for those whom the LORD'S fire has smitten;

7 but do not you go beyond the entry of the meeting tent, else you shall die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." So they did as Moses told them.

8 The LORD said to Aaron,

9 "When you are to go to the meeting tent, you and your sons are forbidden under pain of death, by a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations, to drink any wine or strong drink.

10 You must be able to distinguish between what is sacred and what is profane, between what is clean and what is unclean;

11 you must teach the Israelites all the laws that the LORD has given them through Moses."

12 Moses said to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the cereal offering left over from the oblations of the LORD, and eat it beside the altar in the form of unleavened cakes. Since it is most sacred,

13 you must eat it in a sacred place. This is your due from the oblations of the LORD, and that of your sons; such is the command I have received.

14 With your sons and daughters you shall also eat the breast of the wave offering and the leg of the raised offering, in a clean place; for these have been assigned to you and your children as your due from the peace offerings of the Israelites.

15 The leg of the raised offering and the breast of the wave offering shall first be brought in with the oblations, the fatty portions, that are to be waved as a wave offering before the LORD. Then they shall belong to you and your children by a perpetual ordinance, as the LORD has commanded."

16 When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering, he discovered that it had all been burned. So he was angry with the surviving sons of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar, and said,

17 "Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sacred place, since it is most sacred? It has been given to you that you might bear the guilt of the community and make atonement for them before the LORD.

18 If its blood was not brought into the inmost part of the sanctuary, you should certainly have eaten the offering in the sanctuary, in keeping with the command I had received."

19 Aaron answered Moses, "Even though they presented their sin offering and holocaust before the LORD today, yet this misfortune has befallen me. Had I then eaten of the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing to the LORD?"

20 On hearing this, Moses was satisfied.

v 1-5. Fire from the Lord was a new fire consuming things on the burnt altar. He had not yet told how fire on the incense altar was to be kindled. Their “strange” fire may have been from their own cooking fire of 8:31, instead of from the altar of burnt offering. A holy God could not be trifled with in that way, and Aaron accepted that fact instead of becoming angry at God. Aaron and the other two sons were not to become defiled with a dead body, so Moses had two cousins of Aaron and him to carry them out. They were carried right out in their priest’s coats which had so recently been anointed.

 

 

 

v 6,7. Moses warned the bereaved not to partake in any kind of mourning or to go out, probably to the burial, under penalty of death for contempt of their anointing.

 

 

 

v 8-11. This was not only sound advice on separation, but the timing would seem that maybe the two smitten had been somewhat under the influence of drink.

 

 

 

 

 

v 12-15. The bereaved are to go ahead with life and are to eat their portion of the sacrifices in the holy court, not outside of it,  as the Lord had commanded Moses. Not too close to the burnt altar though, because it is to be in a clean place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 16--20. Moses had seen enough trouble already that he was really upset with Aaron that he and his sons had disobeyed God’s orders and not eaten their portion. Blood of it had not been taken into the tabernacle so they were supposed to eat it, not burn it. They had obediently taken care of the sacrifices and avoided mourning, but under the circumstances, Aaron claimed human weakness for not going ahead and eating. (Compare Hos. 9:4,5) Moses accepted  the personal weakness, not willfulness, but was no doubt disappointed that Aaron didn’t show more character.