Lev 10:1-2 | 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).