The Meaning of Leviticus 10:1 Explained

Leviticus 10:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, take each his censer, and put in them fire, and put on it perfume, and bring near before Jehovah strange fire, which He hath not commanded them;

Darby: And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took each of them his censer, and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and presented strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them.

ASV: And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 10:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 10:1-11 - A Deed That Turned Joy Into Grief
There was a double blessing. First, Aaron blessed the people when he stood against the altar, Leviticus 9:22, and afterward, when he came out of the Tabernacle, Leviticus 9:23. We find here the analogue of the double blessing which our Lord gives His own. When He came from offering His supreme sacrifice on Calvary, which was burned-offering, peace-offering, sin- and trespass-offerings combined, He blessed His own. We are told that as He blessed them He was borne upward to heaven, Luke 24:51; but we expect another blessing from Him, when He shall come forth out of the heavenly Temple and extend His hands in benediction, using perhaps the very words of the ancient benediction. But take care lest you ever introduce strange fire into your worship-i.e., the fire of your own emotions, enthusiasm and excitement. Ponder those mighty words in Leviticus 10:3. We must not rush carelessly into the divine presence, though by the blood of Jesus we have been made nigh, Ephesians 2:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 10

1  Aadab and Abihu, for offering strange fire, are burnt by fire
6  Aaron and his sons are forbidden to mourn for them
8  The priests are forbidden wine when they are to go into the tabernacle
12  The law of eating the holy things
16  Aaron's excuse for transgressing thereof

What do the individual words in Leviticus 10:1 mean?

And took the sons of Aaron Nadab and Abihu each his censer and put in it fire and put on it incense and offered before Yahweh fire profane which not He had commanded them
וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם

וַיִּקְח֣וּ  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַ֠הֲרֹן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
נָדָ֨ב  Nadab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָדָב  
Sense: eldest son of Aaron by Elisheba; struck dead before the sanctuary in the wilderness for kindling the censers with strange fire.
וַאֲבִיה֜וּא  and  Abihu 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִיהוּא  
Sense: a son of Aaron destroyed for sacrificing strange fire to God.
אִ֣ישׁ  each 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מַחְתָּת֗וֹ  his  censer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַחְתָּה  
Sense: fire-holder, censer, firepan, snuff dish, tray.
וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בָהֵן֙  in  it 
Parse: Preposition-b, Pronoun, third person feminine plural
Root: ־הֶן 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
אֵ֔שׁ  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עָלֶ֖יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
קְטֹ֑רֶת  incense 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְטֹרֶת  
Sense: incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice.
וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ  and  offered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
לִפְנֵ֤י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵ֣שׁ  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
זָרָ֔ה  profane 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
צִוָּ֖ה  He  had  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.