The big picture
Leviticus 10 opens in verse 1 with “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;”, and closes in verse 20 with “And when Moses heard that, he was content.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Moses, sons, Aaron, holy. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 20Leviticus 10:1-7
1–7: Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and…
Leviticus 10:1–7 opens with “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein…” and reaches “And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The aftermath of Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized offering, with particular weight carried by LORD, Aaron, Moses.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And there went out fire from the LORD , and devoured them, and they died before the LORD .” The line’s distinctive content terms include LORD, devoured, died. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me…” Naming Aaron and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Leviticus 10:1-7
King James Version1And 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.
2And there went out fire from the LORD , and devoured them, and they died before the LORD .
3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
5So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
7And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
Leviticus 10:8-14
8–14: The LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
Leviticus 10:8–14 opens with “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,” and reaches “And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The aftermath of Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized offering, with particular weight carried by sons, LORD, holy.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,” Naming Aaron keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;” The line’s distinctive content terms include clean, difference, holy. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.
Leviticus 10:8-14
King James Version8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
9Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
12And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:
13And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.
14And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.
Leviticus 10:15-20
15–20: The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the…
Leviticus 10:15–20 opens with “The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the…” and reaches “And when Moses heard that, he was content.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The aftermath of Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized offering, with particular weight carried by offering, LORD, holy.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and…” Naming Aaron and Eleazar keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Leviticus 10:15-20
King James Version15The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD ; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.
16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,
17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD ?
18Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
19And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD ; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD ?
20And when Moses heard that, he was content.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 10:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 10:3 forms a natural hinge: “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be…”
The final note
Leviticus 10:20 leaves the reader with “And when Moses heard that, he was content.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Moses, sons, Aaron, holy, offering help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why list the nations before introducing Abram?
The blessing promised through Abram will concern the families of the earth, not an isolated group.
What organizes the table?
Families, lands, nations and languages recur, linking people with place and relationship.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.