King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
Complete Jewish Bible:
but Nadav and Avihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before ADONAI.
Berean Standard Bible:
but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.
American Standard Version:
And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Jehovah.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Nadab{H5070} and Abihu{H30} died{H4191}, when they offered{H7126} strange{H2114} fire{H784} before{H6440} the LORD{H3068}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Numbers 3:4
- 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.
Leviticus 10:1
- ¶ 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.
Leviticus 10:2
- And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
1 Chronicles 24:1
- ¶ Now [these are] the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
1 Chronicles 24:2
- But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 26:61
**Themes:**
1. **Holiness of God:** The incident with Nadab and Abihu underscores the holiness of God and the necessity of approaching Him with reverence and according to His established protocols. Their death serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of not giving God the respect and honor due to Him.
2. **Divine Justice:** The verse reflects the theme of divine justice, where actions have consequences, especially when they involve direct disobedience or disrespect towards God.
3. **Purity in Worship:** The narrative emphasizes the importance of pure and prescribed worship. It suggests that worship must be conducted in the way God has commanded, without human innovation that deviates from divine instruction.
4. **Leadership Accountability:** As priests, Nadab and Abihu were in leadership roles, and their punishment highlights the higher standard of accountability for religious leaders.
**Historical Context:**
Numbers 26:61 is part of the Book of Numbers, which recounts the census of the Israelite tribes in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. The verse is a brief reference to an event that occurred earlier in Leviticus 10:1-2, where Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, offered "strange fire" before the Lord, which He had not commanded. This event took place at the beginning of the Israelites' journey, soon after the Tabernacle was consecrated.
The historical context of this verse is set within the broader narrative of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness, a period marked by their formation as a nation and their learning to live according to God's laws. The census mentioned in Numbers 26 was the second one, taken about 40 years after the first, just before the Israelites were to enter the Promised Land. The reference to Nadab and Abihu's death serves as a historical footnote, reminding the new generation of the importance of adhering to God's commands and the seriousness with which they should regard their worship practices.
*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: H4191
There are 694 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוּת
Transliteration: mûwth
Pronunciation: mooth
Description: a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. - 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: 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: 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.