King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
But Nadav and Avihu died in the presence of ADONAI when they offered unauthorized fire before ADONAI in the Sinai Desert, and they had no children; El'azar and Itamar served as cohanim in the presence of Aharon their father.
Berean Standard Bible:
Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
American Standard Version:
And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah, when they offered strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Nadab{H5070} and Abihu{H30} died{H4191} before{H6440} the LORD{H3068}, when they offered{H7126} strange{H2114} fire{H784} before{H6440} the LORD{H3068}, in the wilderness{H4057} of Sinai{H5514}, and they had no children{H1121}: and Eleazar{H499} and Ithamar{H385} ministered in the priest's office{H3547} in the sight{H6440} of Aaron{H175} their father{H1}.
Cross-References (KJV):
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.
Numbers 26:61
- And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 3:4
Numbers 3:4 is a verse that encapsulates a tragic event in the early history of the Israelite priesthood. The verse references the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, who were the sons of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. These two men offered "strange fire" to the Lord, which was an unauthorized form of worship contrary to the divine instructions given to Moses for the tabernacle service. The exact nature of this "strange fire" is not detailed in the text, leading to various interpretations among scholars and theologians. However, the severity of their punishment—death before the Lord—indicates the importance of adhering to God's commands, especially in matters of worship and religious service.
The historical context of this event is set in the wilderness of Sinai, where the Israelites were camped after receiving the Law from God through Moses. This occurred shortly after the completion of the Tabernacle, which was the portable dwelling place for God's presence among the people. As priests, Nadab and Abihu would have held significant responsibility in mediating between God and the people, making their transgression all the more grave.
The verse also mentions that Nadab and Abihu had no children, which not only highlighted the finality of their deaths but also raised succession issues for the priesthood. Consequently, their younger brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar, assumed the priestly duties under the guidance of their father, Aaron. This transition underscores the continuity of priestly service despite personal tragedies and emphasizes the necessity of following divine protocols in religious practices. The incident serves as a sobering reminder within the narrative of the importance of respecting and obeying God's directives, particularly for those entrusted with religious leadership.
*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: 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: 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: H4057
There are 257 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִדְבָּר
Transliteration: midbâr
Pronunciation: mid-bawr'
Description: from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs); desert, south, speech, wilderness. - Strong's Number: H5514
There are 34 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סִינַי
Transliteration: Çîynay
Pronunciation: see-nah'-ee
Description: of uncertain derivation; Sinai, mountain of Arabia; Sinai. - 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: H499
There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶלְעָזָר
Transliteration: ʼElʻâzâr
Pronunciation: el-aw-zawr'
Description: from אֵל and עָזַר; God (is) helper; Elazar, the name of seven Israelites; Eleazar. - Strong's Number: H385
There are 69 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִיתָמָר
Transliteration: ʼÎythâmâr
Pronunciation: eeth-aw-mawr'
Description: from אִי and תָּמָר; coast of the palm-tree; Ithamar, a son of Aaron; Ithamar. - Strong's Number: H3547
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּהַן
Transliteration: kâhan
Pronunciation: kaw-han'
Description: a primitive root, apparently meaning to mediate in religious services; but used only as denominative from כֹּהֵן; to officiate as a priest; figuratively, to put on regalia; deck, be (do the office of a, execute the, minister in the) priest('s office). - 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: H1
There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָב
Transliteration: ʼâb
Pronunciation: awb
Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.