1 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came forth from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying, 'I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" Aaron held his peace. 4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp." 5 So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Don't let the hair of your heads go loose, neither tear your clothes; that you don't die, and that he not be angry with all the congregation: but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled. 7 You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you." They did according to the word of Moses. 8 Yahweh spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 "Drink no wine nor strong drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, that you don't die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: 10 and that you are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11 and that you are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Yahweh has spoken to them by Moses." 12 Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, "Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy; 13 and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons' portion, of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire: for so I am commanded. 14 The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons' portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 The heaved thigh and the waved breast they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be yours, and your sons' with you, as a portion forever; as Yahweh has commanded." 16 Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned: and he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17 "Why haven't you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Yahweh? 18 Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary: you certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded." 19 Aaron spoke to Moses, "Behold, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before Yahweh; and such things as these have happened to me: and if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the sight of Yahweh?" 20 When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.
The events recorded in this chapter must have occurred immediately after the offering of the sacrifices of inauguration, in the evening of the same day. See Leviticus 10:19.
Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire before the Lord, and are destroyed, Leviticus 10:1-5. Aaron and his family forbidden to mourn for them, Leviticus 10:6, Leviticus 10:7. He and his family are forbidden the use of wine, Leviticus 10:8-11. Directions to Aaron and his sons concerning the eating of the meat-offerings, etc., Leviticus 10:12-15. Moses chides Aaron for not having eaten the sin-offering, Leviticus 10:16-18. Aaron excuses himself, and Moses is satisfied, Leviticus 10:19, Leviticus 10:20.
INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 10
This chapter begins with the sin and punishment of two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Leviticus 10:1 for whose death Aaron and his sons are commanded not to mourn, nor to depart from the tabernacle, Leviticus 10:6 and an order is given, prohibiting the priests from drinking wine when they went into it, Leviticus 10:8 the law of eating holy things, both those that were more, and those that were less holy, is enjoined, Leviticus 10:12 and the flesh of the sin offering not being eaten, but burnt, Aaron's sons are blamed for it, for which he makes an apology to the satisfaction of Moses, Leviticus 10:16.
(Leviticus 10:1, Leviticus 10:2) The sin and death of Nadab and Abihu.
(Leviticus 10:3-7) Aaron and his sons forbidden to mourn for Nadab and Abihu.
(Leviticus 10:8-11) Wine forbidden to the priests when in the service of the tabernacle.
(Leviticus 10:12-20) Of eating the holy things.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.