Leviticus 10:2 kjv
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:2 nkjv
So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:2 niv
So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:2 esv
And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:2 nlt
So fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD.
Leviticus 10 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 9:24 | Fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering... when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. | Divine fire validating true worship |
| Lev 10:1 | Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer... and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. | The specific sin: "unauthorized fire" |
| Lev 10:9-11 | Do not drink wine... that you may distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean... | Priestly duty to discern holy from unholy |
| Num 3:4 | Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai... | Reiterates the account of their death |
| Num 16:35 | And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. | Similar judgment by fire for rebellion in worship |
| Num 26:61 | But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD. | A reminder of God's strictness |
| Exod 19:22 | Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them. | Necessity of holiness in approaching God |
| Exod 29:43 | There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. | God's glory sanctifies and requires holiness |
| 1 Sam 15:22-23 | Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... | Obedience paramount over ritual |
| 2 Sam 6:6-7 | And when they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled... and God struck him down there for his error... | Immediate divine judgment for disrespecting holy things |
| Isa 1:12-15 | When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?... I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. | God rejects worship not aligned with obedience |
| Jer 7:9-10 | Will you steal, murder, commit adultery... then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are safe!'? | False confidence in outward ritual without inward truth |
| Mal 1:6-8 | A son honors his father... If then I am a father, where is my honor? ...You are bringing defiled food to my altar. | Despising God through careless offerings |
| Matt 15:9 | In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. | Warning against man-made worship rules |
| Rom 12:1 | Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | Call to spiritual worship rooted in holiness |
| 1 Cor 10:6 | Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. | Old Testament events as warnings for New Covenant believers |
| 1 Cor 11:27-30 | Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord... | Unworthy participation in sacred rituals carries consequence |
| Heb 5:4 | And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. | Priesthood is by divine call, not human initiative |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment... | Seriousness of deliberate disobedience in the New Covenant |
| Heb 12:28-29 | Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. | God's nature as "consuming fire" implies awe in worship |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” | God's holiness demands His people's holiness |
| Rev 21:27 | But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. | Holiness required for presence in God's eternal dwelling |
Leviticus 10 verses
Leviticus 10 2 Meaning
Leviticus 10:2 describes the swift and definitive judgment enacted by God upon Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, for offering unauthorized fire before the Lord. The verse states that divine fire emerged from God's presence, consumed them entirely, and resulted in their immediate death within the Tabernacle. This severe consequence immediately followed their act of disobedience, profoundly emphasizing God's absolute holiness and the critical importance of strict adherence to His commands concerning worship and priestly service.
Leviticus 10 2 Context
Leviticus 10:2 occurs immediately following the elaborate dedication ceremonies of the Tabernacle and the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests in Leviticus chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 9 culminates with God's visible presence and consuming fire validating the first sacrifices offered by Aaron as high priest. It was a moment of divine favor and rejoicing. In this sacred, consecrated setting, Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron's four sons, offered "unauthorized fire" (Leviticus 10:1). This act directly defied God's specific instructions for cultic worship, displaying a severe lack of reverence for divine authority. The swift judgment in verse 2 underscored that while God had drawn near, His holiness demanded a specific and consecrated approach. The events in Leviticus 10 served to indelibly impress upon Israel, particularly the priestly line, the gravity of God's sanctity and the perils of approaching Him outside of His divinely prescribed way.
Leviticus 10 2 Word analysis
- And fire (וָאֵ֥שׁ - va'esh): This is a direct consequence of the unauthorized fire from verse 1. The immediate "And" connects it tightly to Nadab and Abihu's action. The "fire" is not an ordinary flame but "fire from the LORD," signifying divine origin and judgment. This contrasts with their "strange fire" (esh zarah), demonstrating that only God-ordained elements are acceptable in His presence.
- went out (וַתֵּצֵ֥א - vatetze): Implies a swift and direct action originating from within God's sacred presence. It signifies a forceful emanation, indicating a conscious, deliberate, and immediate act of divine judgment.
- from the LORD (מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֑ה - me'et Yahweh): Emphasizes the ultimate source and authority of the judgment. Yahweh (the covenant name of God) signifies the personal God of Israel, highlighting that this was a specific and intentional act by the One who had established the covenant and the sanctuary laws. This makes the judgment against His chosen priests even more poignant and severe, serving as a powerful lesson for all Israel about His holy character and expectations.
- and devoured them (וַתֹּאכַ֣ל אֹתָ֔ם - vatokhal otam): The verb 'akhal (to eat, consume, devour) implies complete destruction by fire, signifying the finality and thoroughness of the judgment. It's a swift, comprehensive destruction, leaving nothing to chance, reinforcing the total consumption and irreversible nature of the consequence. This suggests that the fire did not merely kill but entirely consumed their bodies.
- and they died (וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ - vayamutu): This simply and starkly states the immediate outcome – their demise. There was no reprieve, no second chance. This serves as a grim and immediate testament to the gravity of their transgression in God's holy presence.
- before the LORD (לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה - lifnei Yahweh): This phrase emphasizes the precise location of their judgment – in the immediate presence or "face" of God, within the holy precinct of the Tabernacle. This detail is crucial; their sin and its judgment occurred exactly where they were supposed to be reverently ministering. It underlines that disrespect to God's holiness within His sanctuary invokes His direct and immediate wrath. It served as a potent lesson to all that even the closest to God must obey His divine regulations regarding holy space and service.
Leviticus 10 2 Bonus section
The severity of Nadab and Abihu's punishment highlights the initial establishment of cultic purity and reverence for the newly consecrated Tabernacle. Their sin was not simply a minor infraction but likely reflected a casualness or presumption concerning God's holy presence, perhaps motivated by pride or ritualistic negligence. It set an undeniable precedent for all future generations of priests: priestly office granted immense privilege, but also carried immense responsibility. This event further illustrates that the "consuming fire" characteristic of God (Deut 4:24, Heb 12:29) is both for validating righteous sacrifice (Lev 9:24) and for justly consuming that which profanes His holiness. Aaron's silent grief in response to Moses' words in Lev 10:3—"Among those who are near Me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified"—demonstrates his profound understanding and acceptance of God's just, albeit painful, decree. This incident underscores a vital theological truth: God’s grace is never to be presumed upon; true access to Him is always on His terms, reflecting His immutable holiness.
Leviticus 10 2 Commentary
Leviticus 10:2 presents a chillingly immediate demonstration of God's unyielding holiness and the severity of disobedience in approaching Him. While it stands in stark contrast to the divine favor shown in chapter 9, where God's fire consumed a holy offering, here, the same divine fire justly consumes those who defiled His holy presence with unauthorized worship. The essence of their sin was not a mere ritualistic oversight but a blatant disregard for God's prescribed will, a human attempt to innovate in divine service, or perhaps a lack of sobriety (as suggested by the subsequent command in verse 9 regarding wine for priests). God, having established the terms of worship, leaves no ambiguity: He is holy, and He must be approached on His terms alone. This tragic event served as a foundational lesson for the nascent priesthood and the entire nation of Israel, teaching them that worship is not to be a matter of human preference or convenience, but reverent, precise adherence to divine command. The sanctity of the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place among His people, was firmly established through this immediate judgment, ensuring that His holiness was feared and respected from the very beginning of the sacrificial system.