Leviticus 10

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and put incense on the fire. They offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them to do.

1And 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.

NoteA censer (fire pan) was a shallow metal pan with a handle, used to carry burning coals from the altar so that incense could be sprinkled on them. Incense was a blend of aromatic gums burned to produce fragrant smoke, part of the daily service in the sanctuary. "Strange fire" translates a Hebrew word meaning foreign, outside, or not belonging, fire from a source or in a manner that had not been authorized. The text says only that it was not commanded; it never specifies what exactly was wrong with it.

2Fire came out from the LORD and burned them up, and they died in front of the LORD.

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

3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke about when he said, 'Among those who come near me I will show that I am holy, and in front of all the people I will be honored.'" And Aaron said nothing.

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.

Note"Those who come near me" is a standard phrase for the priests, the only people permitted to approach the altar and the sanctuary. Moses quotes a saying not recorded elsewhere in these words. "Aaron said nothing" renders a Hebrew verb for being silent or still; whether it means acceptance, shock, or grief is left open.

4Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, who was Aaron's uncle, and said to them, "Come here. Carry your relatives away from the front of the holy place and out of the camp."

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.

NoteMishael and Elzaphan are first cousins of Nadab and Abihu; "brethren" in the King James is the general Hebrew word for kinsmen, not literal brothers. Contact with a corpse made a person ritually unclean, and the dead were removed from the camp for that reason, Aaron and his surviving sons, being under the restrictions of their office, could not handle the bodies themselves.

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

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

NoteThe "coats" are the linen tunics of the priestly vestments. The detail notes that the bodies were carried away still clothed, rather than the garments being stripped off first.

6Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not leave your hair uncovered and loose, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die, and anger will come on all the people. But your relatives, the whole house of Israel, may weep over the burning that the LORD has started.

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.

NoteLetting the hair hang loose and uncovered and tearing one's clothing were the ordinary public signs of mourning in Israel, as normal then as wearing black at a funeral. Aaron and his sons are forbidden these gestures while on duty; everyone else may perform them on their behalf. "Wrath will come on all the people" means the whole community, not just the priests, would suffer the consequences.

7And you must not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die, because the LORD's anointing oil is on you." So they did what Moses said.

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.

NoteThe tent of meeting (the King James "tabernacle of the congregation") was the portable sanctuary at the center of the camp, where God was understood to meet Israel. The anointing oil was the perfumed olive oil poured on the priests at their installation, marking them as set apart for the sanctuary and, in this context, as still bound to their post.

8The LORD spoke to Aaron and said,

8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

9"You and your sons with you must not drink wine or strong drink when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a law that lasts forever, for all your generations to come,

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:

Note"Strong drink" translates Hebrew *shekar*, fermented drink made from something other than grapes, barley beer, or drink made from dates or other fruit. It does not mean distilled spirits, which did not exist at this time.

10so that you can tell the difference between what is holy and what is common, and between what is unclean and what is clean,

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

Note"Holy" and "common" are categories of status rather than of morality: holy means reserved for the sanctuary, common means ordinary and available for everyday use. "Clean" and "unclean" likewise concern ritual fitness to approach the sanctuary, not hygiene or sin; a person could become unclean through entirely blameless events such as childbirth or burying the dead. Sorting things into these categories was part of the priests' professional job.

11and so that you can teach the people of Israel all the rules that the LORD has spoken to them through Moses."

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

12Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons who were left, and said, "Take the grain offering that is left over from the offerings made to the LORD by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar, because it is most holy.

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:

NoteThe grain offering was flour with oil and incense; a token handful was burned on the altar and the rest belonged to the priests. "Without leaven" means made without yeast or any fermenting agent. "Most holy" is a technical grade: such food could be eaten only by male priests and only within the sanctuary precinct.

13You must eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons' share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire. That is what I have been commanded.

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.

Note"Your due" means the fixed share allotted to the priests. Priests received no farmland of their own, so specified portions of the offerings were their income and their food supply.

14The breast that is waved and the thigh that is lifted up you must eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you. They are your share and your sons' share, given to you out of the peace offerings of the people of Israel.

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 be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

NoteThe breast and thigh were lifted or moved in a set ritual gesture in front of the altar, marking them as handed over to God and then assigned back to the priests. These portions ranked as merely holy rather than most holy, which is why they could be eaten in any ritually clean place rather than only in the sanctuary, and by the priests' wives and daughters as well as the men. Peace offerings were sacrifices shared out and eaten as a meal by the worshiper, the priests, and the altar.

15They are to bring the thigh that is lifted up and the breast that is waved, together with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire, to wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong to you and to your sons with you, as a law that lasts forever, just as the LORD has commanded."

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.

NoteThe fat portions were the parts burned on the altar; they were never eaten. Only the breast and thigh went to the priests.

16Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and he found that it had been burned up. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were still alive, and he said,

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,

NoteThe sin offering (better, purification offering) was the sacrifice that cleansed the sanctuary and the people of ritual impurity. "It had been burned up" means incinerated as waste rather than burned on the altar as a sacrifice, the meat that should have gone to the priests had been destroyed instead of eaten.

17"Why did you not eat the sin offering in the holy place? It is most holy, and God gave it to you to carry away the guilt of the people and to make atonement for them before the LORD.

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?

Note"To carry away the guilt of the people" reflects a Hebrew idiom for bearing or removing liability; the priests' eating of the offering was itself part of how the impurity was disposed of. "Atonement" translates a verb meaning to wipe clean or to cover over, used of clearing away pollution and its consequences.

18Look, its blood was not brought inside the holy place. You should have eaten it in the holy place, just as I commanded."

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.

NoteThe rule Moses cites is the one given earlier: if a purification offering's blood was carried inside the tent, the carcass had to be burned and not eaten; if the blood stayed outside at the altar, the priests were required to eat the meat. Since this animal's blood had not gone inside, burning it was a breach of procedure.

19Aaron said to Moses, "Look, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and things like this have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have accepted it?"

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?

NoteAaron's reply is compressed and its logic has been argued over since antiquity. "Things like this have happened to me" points to the deaths of his sons; the implied argument may be that a man in mourning, or newly touched by such a death, was in no fit state to eat holy food. The text records that Moses accepted it without stating exactly what the reasoning was.

20When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.

20And when Moses heard that, he was content.