Add parallel Print Page Options

Improper Conduct for Priests

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner and put burning coals and incense in it. Then in Yahweh’s presence they offered this unauthorized fire. A fire flashed from Yahweh and burned them, and they died in the presence of Yahweh.

Moses said to Aaron, “This is exactly what Yahweh said:

‘I will show my holiness among those who come to me.
I will show my glory to all the people.’”

Aaron was speechless.

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle, Uzziel. He told them, “Come and take your relatives away from in front of the holy place. Take them outside the camp.” So they came and took them away to a place outside the camp, as Moses told them. The dead men were still in their linen robes.

Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: “Do not mourn by leaving your hair uncombed or tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die and Yahweh will become angry with the whole congregation. All the other Israelites may cry over the fire Yahweh sent, but you may not. You must not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or else you, too, will die, because Yahweh has anointed you with his oil.” They obeyed Moses.

Proper Conduct for Priests

Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “You and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a permanent law for generations to come. 10 Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.[a] 11 Also teach the Israelites all the laws that Yahweh gave them through Moses.”

12 Moses told Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the offering by fire to Yahweh. Make unleavened bread, and eat it next to the altar because it is very holy. 13 Eat it in a holy place because it is the part of the offering by fire to Yahweh that belongs to you and your children. That is the command I received. 14 Also eat the breast presented to the Lord and the thigh that was given as a contribution. You and your sons and daughters may eat them in a clean place because they are your part of the fellowship offerings from the Israelites. 15 They will bring the thigh given as a contribution, the breast presented to the Lord, and the fat that is to be burned and present them to Yahweh. These parts will belong to you and your children. This will be a permanent law, as Yahweh has commanded.”

Eleazar and Ithamar Sacrifice the Offering for Sin

16 Moses tried to find out what had happened to the male goat that was supposed to be the offering for sin. To his surprise, it had already been burned. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s surviving sons. 17 He asked them, “Why didn’t you eat the offering for sin in the holy place? It is very holy and was given to you to take away the sins of the congregation and to make peace with the Lord for them. 18 Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you certainly should have eaten it there, as I commanded.”

19 Aaron answered Moses, “Today they sacrificed their offering for sin and their burnt offering in Yahweh’s presence, and look what happened to me. If I had eaten the offering for sin today, would Yahweh have approved?”

20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 10:10 “Clean” refers to anything that is presentable to God. “Unclean” refers to anything that is not presentable to God.

10 And Nadav and Avihu, the bnei Aharon, each took his censer, and put eish therein, and put ketoret (incense) thereon, and offered eish zarah (strange, unauthorized fire) before Hashem, which He commanded them not.

And there went out eish (fire) from the presence of Hashem, and devoured them, and they died before Hashem.

Then Moshe said unto Aharon, This is it that Hashem spoke, saying, I will show Myself kadosh among them that come near Me, and before kol HaAm (all the People) I will be honored. And Aharon was silent.

And Moshe called Mishael and Eltzaphan, the bnei Uzziel the dod (uncle) of Aharon, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the Kodesh to the outside of the machaneh.

So they went near, and carried them in the kuttanot of them out of the machaneh; as Moshe had said.

And Moshe said unto Aharon, and unto Eleazar and unto Itamar, his banim, Don’t uncover your head, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon kol HaEdah; but let your brethren, the kol Bais Yisroel, bewail the burning which Hashem hath kindled.

And ye shall not go out from the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed, lest ye die; for the shemen mishchat (anointing oil) of Hashem is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moshe.

And Hashem spoke unto Aharon, saying,

Do not drink yayin nor strong drink, thou, nor thy banim with thee, when ye go into the Ohel Mo’ed, lest ye die; it shall be chukkat olam throughout your generations;

10 And that ye may put difference between kodesh and chol (common, profane), and between tameh (unclean) and tahor (clean);

11 And that ye may teach the Bnei Yisroel all the chukkim which Hashem hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moshe.

12 And Moshe spoke unto Aharon, and unto Eleazar and unto Itamar, his banim that were left, Take the minchah that remaineth of the offerings of Hashem made by eish, and eat it without leaven (i.e., matzot) beside the Mizbe’ach; for it is kodesh kodashim;

13 And ye shall eat it in the makom kadosh, because it is the chok (share, portion) of thee and thy banim, of the sacrifices of Hashem made by eish; for so I am commanded.

14 And the breast of the waving and raised up thigh shall ye eat in a makom tahor; thou, and thy banim, and thy banot with thee; for they are thy chok, and the chok of thy banim, which are given out of the zevakhim of shelamim (peace offerings) of the Bnei Yisroel.

15 The raised-up thigh and the breast of the waving shall they bring with the offerings made by eish of the chelavim (fat portions), to wave it for a wave offering before Hashem; and it shall be thine, and unto thy banim with thee, by a chok olam (portion forever); as Hashem hath commanded.

16 And Moshe diligently inquired about the sa’ir of the chattat, and, hinei, it was burned up; and he was angry with Eleazar and Itamar, the bnei Aharon which were left alive, saying,

17 Why have ye not eaten the chattat in the makom hakodesh, seeing it is kodesh kodashim, and G-d hath given it you to bear away the avon HaEdah, to make kapporah for them before Hashem?

18 Since the dahm of it was not brought in within HaKodesh, ye should indeed have eaten it in the Kodesh, as I commanded.

19 And Aharon said unto Moshe, See, today have they offered their chattat (sin offering) and their olah (burnt offering) before Hashem; and such things have befallen me; and if I had eaten the chattat today, should it have been accepted in the sight of Hashem?

20 And when Moshe heard that, he was satisfied.