King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ 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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
But Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aharon, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before ADONAI, something he had not ordered them to do.
Berean Standard Bible:
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
American Standard Version:
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Nadab{H5070} and Abihu{H30}, the sons{H1121} of Aaron{H175}, took{H3947} either{H376} of them his censer{H4289}, and put{H5414} fire{H784} therein{H2004}, and put{H7760} incense{H7004} thereon, and offered{H7126} strange{H2114} fire{H784} before{H6440} the LORD{H3068}, which he commanded{H6680} them not.
Cross-References (KJV):
Numbers 26:61
- And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
Leviticus 16:12
- And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the vail:
Deuteronomy 12:32
- What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Numbers 16:46
- And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Exodus 24:1
- ¶ And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Exodus 6:23
- And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Leviticus 22:9
- They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Leviticus 10:1
Leviticus 10:1 recounts a pivotal event in the early history of the Israelite priesthood. The verse describes how Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron (Moses' brother and the first high priest of Israel), offered "strange fire" before the Lord, which was an act not commanded by God. This incident occurs shortly after the establishment of the tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God met with His people during their wilderness wanderings. The "strange fire" is not clearly defined in the text, leading to various interpretations, but it is understood to be an offering that deviated from the specific instructions God had given for worship.
The themes present in this verse include the importance of adhering strictly to divine instructions, the holiness of God, the seriousness of the priestly role, and the consequences of disobedience. The historical context suggests that this event was meant to reinforce the necessity of proper worship and respect for the sacred rituals that God had prescribed. The immediate and severe punishment that follows in the subsequent verses, where Nadab and Abihu are consumed by fire from the Lord, underscores the gravity of their offense and serves as a sobering reminder to the Israelites of the need to follow God's commands precisely, especially in the context of worship and religious duties. This event would have had a profound impact on the practice of worship among the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of ritual purity and the role of the priesthood in maintaining the sanctity of worship.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5070
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָדָב
Transliteration: Nâdâb
Pronunciation: naw-dawb'
Description: from נָדַב; liberal; Nadab, the name of four Israelites; Nadab. - Strong's Number: H30
There are 8610 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲבִיהוּא
Transliteration: ʼĂbîyhûwʼ
Pronunciation: ab-ee-hoo'
Description: from אָב and הוּא; father (i.e. worshipper) of Him (i.e. God); Abihu, a son of Aaron; Abihu. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H175
There are 480 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַהֲרוֹן
Transliteration: ʼAhărôwn
Pronunciation: a-har-one'
Description: of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses; Aaron. - Strong's Number: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. - Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H4289
There are 19 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַחְתָּה
Transliteration: machtâh
Pronunciation: makh-taw'
Description: the same as מְחִתָּה in the sense of removal; a pan for live coals; censer, firepan, snuffdish. - Strong's Number: H5414
There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַן
Transliteration: nâthan
Pronunciation: naw-than'
Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. - Strong's Number: H784
There are 549 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵשׁ
Transliteration: ʼêsh
Pronunciation: aysh
Description: a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot. - Strong's Number: H2004
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הֵן
Transliteration: hên
Pronunciation: hane
Description: feminine plural from הוּא; they (only used when emphatic); [idiom] in, such like, (with) them, thereby, therein, (more than) they, wherein, in which, whom, withal. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H7004
There are 58 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קְטֹרֶת
Transliteration: qᵉṭôreth
Pronunciation: ket-o'-reth
Description: from קָטַר; a fumigation; (sweet) incense, perfume. - Strong's Number: H7126
There are 259 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרַב
Transliteration: qârab
Pronunciation: kaw-rab'
Description: a primitive root; to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purpose; (cause to) approach, (cause to) bring (forth, near), (cause to) come (near, nigh), (cause to) draw near (nigh), go (near), be at hand, join, be near, offer, present, produce, make ready, stand, take. - Strong's Number: H2114
There are 76 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זוּר
Transliteration: zûwr
Pronunciation: zoor
Description: a primitive root; to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be aforeigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery; (come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-) strange(-r, thing, woman). - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H6680
There are 475 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צָוָה
Transliteration: tsâvâh
Pronunciation: tsaw-vaw'
Description: a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.