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1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sonnes of Aaron, tooke either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which hee commaunded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord and deuoured them, and they died before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said vnto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified: And Aaron held his peace.
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sonnes of Uzziel, the vncle of Aaron, and said vnto them, Come neere, cary your brethren from before the Sanctuary, out of the campe.
5 So they went neere, and caried them in their coats out of the campe, as Moses had said.
6 And Moses said vnto Aaron, and vnto Eleazar and vnto Ithamar his sonnes, Uncouer not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come vpon all the people: But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled.
7 And ye shal not goe out from the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest you die: for the anointing oyle of the Lord is vpon you: and they did according to the word of Moses.
8 ¶ And the Lord spake vnto Aaron, saying,
9 Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke, thou, nor thy sonnes with thee, when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest yee die: It shall bee a statute for euer, throughout your generations:
10 And that ye may put difference betweene holy and vnholy, and betweene vncleane and cleane:
11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken vnto them by the hand of Moses.
12 ¶ And Moses spake vnto Aaron, and vnto Eleazar and vnto Ithamar his sonnes that were left, Take the meate offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eate it without leauen, beside the altar: for it is most holy.
13 And ye shal eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sonnes due of the sacrifices of the Lord, made by fire: for so I am commanded.
14 And the waue breast and heaue shoulder shall ye eate in a cleane place, thou, and thy sonnes, and thy daughters with thee: For they be thy due and thy sonnes due, which are giuen out of the sacrifice of peace offerings, of the children of Israel.
15 The heaue shoulder, and the waue breast shal they bring, with the offrings made by fire of the fat, to waue it for a waue offering before the Lord: and it shall bee thine, and thy sonnes with thee, by a statute for euer, as the Lord hath commanded.
16 ¶ And Moses diligently sought the goate of the sinne offering, and behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sonnes of Aaron, which were left aliue, saying,
17 Wherefore haue ye not eaten the sinne offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath giuen it you to beare the iniquitie of the Congregation, to make atonement for them, before the Lord?
18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in, within the holy place: yee should indeed haue eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
19 And Aaron said vnto Moses, Behold, this day haue they offered their sinne offering, and their burnt offering before the Lord: and such things haue befallen me: and if I had eaten the sinne offering to day, should it haue bin accepted in the sight of the Lord?
20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.
The sin and death of Nadab and Abihu. (1,2) Aaron and his sons forbidden to mourn for Nadab and Abihu. (3-7) Wine forbidden to the priests when in the service of the tabernacle. (8-11) Of eating the holy things. (12-20)1,2 Next to Moses and Aaron, none were more likely to be honourable in Israel than Nadab and Abihu. There is reason to think that they were puffed up with pride, and that they were heated with wine. While the people were prostrate before the Lord, adoring his presence and glory, they rushed into the tabernacle to burn incense, though not at the appointed time; both together, instead of one alone, and with fire not taken from the altar. If it had been done through ignorance, they had been allowed to bring a sin-offering. But the soul that doeth presumptuously, and in contempt of God's majesty and justice, that soul shall be cut off. The wages of sin is death. They died in the very act of their sin. The sin and punishment of these priests showed the imperfection of that priesthood from the very beginning, and that it could not shelter any from the fire of God's wrath, otherwise than as it was typical of Christ's priesthood.
3-7 The most quieting considerations under affliction are fetched from the word of God. What was it that God spake? Though Aaron's heart must have been filled with anguish and dismay, yet with silent submission he revered the justice of the stroke. When God corrects us or ours for sin, it is our duty to accept the punishment, and say, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. Whenever we worship God, we come nigh unto him, as spiritual priests. This ought to make us very serious in all acts of devotion. It concerns us all, when we come nigh to God, to do every religious exercise, as those who believe that the God with whom we have to do, is a holy God. He will take vengeance on those that profane his sacred name by trifling with him.
8-11 Do not drink wine or strong drink. During the time they ministered, the priests were forbidden it. It is required of gospel ministers, that they be not given to wine, #1Ti 3:3|. It is, Lest ye die; die when ye are in drink. The danger of death, to which we are continually exposed, should engage all to be sober.
12-20 Afflictions should rather quicken us to our duty, than take us from it. But our unfitness for duty, when it is natural and not sinful, will have great allowances made for it; God will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Let us profit by the solemn warning this history conveys. When professing worshippers come with zeal without knowledge, carnal affections, earthly, light, vain, trifling thoughts, the devices of will-worship, instead of the offering of soul and spirit; then the incense is kindled by a flame which never came down from heaven, which the Spirit of a holy God never sent within their hearts.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.