Leviticus 10:1-7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 10:1-2

Here is, I. The great sin that Nadab and Abihu were guilty of: and a great sin we must call it, how little soever it appears in our eye, because it is evident by the punishment of it that it was highly provoking to the God of heaven, whose judgment, we are sure, is according to truth. But what was their sin? All the account here given of it is that they offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not (Lev. 10:1), and the same Num. 3:4. 1. It does not appear the they had any... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 10:3-7

We may well think that when Nadab and Abihu were struck with death all about them were struck with horror, and every face, as well as theirs, gathered blackness. Great consternation, no doubt, seized them, and they were all full of confusion; but, whatever the rest were, Moses was composed, and knew what he said and did, not being displeased, as David was in a like case, 2 Sam. 6:8. But though it touched him in a very tender part, and was a dreadful damp to one of the greatest joys he ever... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:1

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron ,.... His two eldest sons, as seems from Exodus 6:23 , took either of them his censer ; a vessel in which coals of fire were put, and incense upon them, and burnt it, and so it follows: and put fire therein, and put incense thereon ; which, as Aben Ezra says, was on the eighth day, that is, of their consecration, the day after their consecration was completely finished, and the same day that Aaron had offered the offerings for himself and for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:2

And there went out fire from the Lord ,.... They sinned by fire, and they were punished by fire, either from heaven, or from the most holy place, where the Lord dwelt between the cherubim; this was of the nature of lightning, as appears by what follows: and devoured them ; not reduced them to ashes, for neither their bodies nor their clothes were burnt with this fire, as is clear from Leviticus 10:4 but their lives were destroyed, they were lifeless, their souls were separated from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:3

And Moses said unto Aaron ,.... Upon this awful occasion, and in order to quiet and humble him under the mighty hand of God: this is it that the Lord spoke, saying ; but when he spoke it, and where it is said and recorded, is not so very clear; it might have been said, and yet not recorded, or the substance of it may be recorded, though not in the express words here delivered; it may refer, as some think, to Exodus 19:22 or else to Exodus 29:43 which seems to come nearest to what... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:4

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron ,.... Uzziel was a son of Kohath, a brother of Amram, the father of Aaron, and so Aaron's uncle, as here; he had four sons, two of which are here mentioned as called by Moses; these were first cousins to Aaron, and second to his sons; see Exodus 6:18 , and said unto them, come near ; it is very probable they were in the court of the tabernacle, being Kohathites, of the tribe of Levi; but not being priests,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:5

So they went near ,.... To the place where the bodies lay, having an order from Moses so to do, let them have been where they will: and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said ; or bid them do; they took them up in their clothes as they found them, and carried them in them; not that these men carried them in their own coats, but in the coats of the dead, as Jarchi expresses it; and had them without the camp, and there buried them, probably in their coats in which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:6

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar, his sons ,.... His two younger sons, which yet remained; and so the Septuagint version adds, as in Leviticus 10:12 . uncover not your heads ; that is, do not take off your mitre, as the Septuagint version; or the bonnets which they wore in the time of their ministry; for the Jewish priests always had their mitres and bonnets on when they sacrificed; in imitation of which, the Heathens had their heads covered when they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 10:7

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die ,.... That is, they were not to relinquish the service of the sanctuary, on the account of the death of these relations of theirs, and through grief for it, but go on in it; not Aaron on account of his children, nor his sons on account of their brethren: from hence, says Ben Gersom, we learn, that whatsoever priest leaves his service, and goes out of the sanctuary, is guilty of death: some think the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 10:1

And Nadab and Abihu - took either of them his censer - The manner of burning incense in the temple service was, according to the Jews, as follows: - "One went and gathered the ashes from off the altar into a golden vessel, a second brought a vessel full of incense, and a third brought a censer with fire, and put coals on the altar, and he whose office it was to burn the incense strewed it on the fire at the command of the governor. At the same time all the people went out of the temple... read more

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