Lev 10:1-3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Lev 10:1-20: 10:1-20 A fire was to burn constantly on the bronze altar (6:9 ) to supply coals for burning incense (16:12 ). Perhaps careless from drinking wine (10:8-11 ), Nadab and Abihu took coals from another source. This violation of God’s instruction resulted in their deaths. 10:1 Aaron’s two older sons, Nadab and Abihu (Exod 6:23 ), had accompanied Moses and the seventy elders on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:1 , 9 ) and had witnessed the great theophany (appearance of God) there. They died without male heirs (see also Exod 28:1 ; Num 3:2-4 ; 26:60-61 ; 1 Chr 6:3 ; 24:1-2 ). • The incense burners were fire pans or trays that held hot coals. Incense was sprinkled on them (Exod 30:34-38 ; see also Lev 16:12-13 ; 2 Chr 26:19 ; Rev 8:3-4 ). • The wrong kind of fire (Hebrew ’esh zarah , “strange fire”) could mean “foreign,” and thus “unauthorized” (see Exod 30:9 ) or even “pagan” (as in Ps 44:20 ; 81:9 ). Apparently, Nadab and Abihu used fire from a source not approved by God (Num 3:4 ; 26:61 ), possibly even a pagan source. It is also possible that they offered incense not prepared according to God’s specifications (Exod 30:34-38 ), although the text does not mention that. They did not enter God’s presence on his terms but on their own.

Summary for Lev 10:1-20: 10:1-20 ^a A fire was to burn constantly on the bronze altar (6:9 ^b) to supply coals for burning incense (16:12 ^c). Perhaps careless from drinking wine (10:8-11 ^d), Nadab and Abihu took coals from another source. This violation of God’s instruction resulted in their deaths. 10:1 ^e Aaron’s two older sons, Nadab and Abihu (Exod 6:23 ^f), had accompanied Moses and the seventy elders on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:1 ^g, 9 ^h) and had witnessed the great theophany (appearance of God) there. They died without male heirs (see also Exod 28:1 ⁱ; Num 3:2-4 ^j; 26:60-61 ^k; 1 Chr 6:3 ^l; 24:1-2 ^m).

• The incense burners were fire pans or trays that held hot coals. Incense was sprinkled on them (Exod 30:34-38 ⁿ; see also Lev 16:12-13 ^o; 2 Chr 26:19 ^p; Rev 8:3-4 ^q).

• The wrong kind of fire (Hebrew ’esh zarah, “strange fire”) could mean “foreign,” and thus “unauthorized” (see Exod 30:9 ^r) or even “pagan” (as in Ps 44:20 ^s; 81:9 ^t). Apparently, Nadab and Abihu used fire from a source not approved by God (Num 3:4 ^u; 26:61 ^v), possibly even a pagan source. It is also possible that they offered incense not prepared according to God’s specifications (Exod 30:34-38 ^w), although the text does not mention that. They did not enter God’s presence on his terms but on their own.
10:2 ^x In 9:24 ^y, the fire blazed forth to show God’s acceptance. It now indicates his disapproval by bringing death to Nadab and Abihu, who had demonstrated a careless approach toward the worship of God (cp. Acts 5:1-11 ^z).
10:3 ^aa God’s holiness is his very essence, substance, and character, and it stands in contrast to the creaturely world. By performing this rash act, Nadab and Abihu failed to consider God’s holiness and failed to honor him.