Leviticus 10

1 Now Aaron’s sons [the sons of the high priest] Nadab and Abihu took their censers [vessels for burning incense], put fire [ordinary fire, not holy] in them and added incense [a sweet smoke offering], and offered [presented, brought near] unauthorized [strange, foreign] fire before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], contrary to [not commanded by] His command [instruction, divine order]. word study 2 So fire [burning, flame] came out from the presence [face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and consumed [devoured, burned up] them, and they died [passed away, perished] in the presence [before, in the sight of] of the LORD. word study 3 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] meant when He said: ‘To those who come [draw near, approach] near Me I will show My holiness [set apart, sacred nature], and in the sight [presence, face] of all the people [nation, community] I will reveal [make known, glorify] My glory [honor, weighty presence].’” But Aaron [the first high priest] remained silent [held his peace, did not speak]. word study 4 Moses [the leader of the Israelites] summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle [beloved relative] Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here [draw near, approach]; carry the bodies [corpses] of your cousins [brethren] outside the camp, away from the front [presence] of the sanctuary [Holy Place, sacred area].” word study 5 So they came forward [drew near, approached] and carried them, still in their tunics [coats, long shirts], outside [beyond the boundary of] the camp [army, group of people], as Moses [the Israelite leader] had directed [spoken, commanded, given orders]. word study 6 Then Moses [the leader of Israel] said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled [uncombed, loose] and do not tear [rend, rip] your garments, or else you will die [perish, meet your end], and the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] will be angry [furious, wrathful] with the whole congregation [gathering, assembly]. But your brothers, the whole house [family, household] of Israel, may mourn [weep, lament] on account of the fire [burning, flames] that the LORD has ignited [kindled, set ablaze]. word study 7 You shall not go outside [beyond the boundary] the entrance [a doorway or gateway] to the Tent [ohel, a nomad’s home or tabernacle] of Meeting [a sacred appointed time], or you will die [experience physical or spiritual death], for the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] anointing [a consecrated portion] oil [olive oil, ointment] is on [upon, a sense of responsibility] you [as a chosen leader].” So they did [performed, carried out] as Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] instructed [gave direction, guided]. word study 8 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Aaron [the brother of Moses and the first high priest], word study 9 “You [as a priest, with your descendants] and your sons [male offspring, descendants] are not to drink [consume, ingest] wine [fermented wine] or strong drink [intoxicating liquor] when you enter [go into, approach] the Tent [ohel, tabernacle] of Meeting [appointed gathering], or else [lest, if not] you will die [experience physical or spiritual death]; this is a permanent [lasting, enduring] statute [divine ordinance] for the generations [dor, successive groups of people] to come [in the future, forever]. word study 10 You must distinguish [make a clear separation, to learn what things are] between the holy [set apart, sacred] and the common [unholy, ordinary], between the clean [pure, ceremonially acceptable] and the unclean [impure, spiritually defiled], word study 11 so that you may teach [point out, show, or instruct] the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] all the statutes [decrees, laws, or ordinances] that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has given [spoken, commanded, or entrusted] them through [by the hand of, or by means of] Moses [the leader, prophet, and mediator].” word study 12 And Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen messenger] said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering [a gift, a sacrifice] that remains [is left over, still available] from the offerings made by fire to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] and eat it without leaven [unleavened bread] beside the altar [a place of sacrifice, worship], because it is most holy [set apart, sacred, consecrated]. word study 13 You shall eat it in a holy [set apart] place, because it is your [due, allotted portion] share and your sons’ [descendants, children] share of the [sacrifices, offerings made by fire] offerings made by fire to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]; for this is what I have been commanded [given orders, appointed to do]. word study 14 And you [including your family] and your sons and daughters may eat the breast [the front of the animal] of the wave offering [a specific type of offering, waved before God] and the thigh [the leg or lower limb] of the contribution [a gift or offering] in a ceremonially clean [pure or ritually clean] place, because these portions have been assigned [given as a decree, a statute] to you and your children from the peace offerings [sacrifices of peace] of the sons of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 15 They are to bring the thigh [leg, lower limb] of the contribution [offering, gift to God] and the breast [front, upper part] of the wave offering [gesture of dedication, raised to God], together with the fat portions [richest, most valuable parts] of the offerings made by fire [sacrifices, burnt offerings], to wave [move back and forth, gesture of worship] as a wave offering before the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. It will belong permanently [forever, as a lasting inheritance] to you and your children [sons, descendants], as the LORD [Yehovah, the Commander] has commanded [given orders, instructed].” word study 16 Later, Moses [diligently, with careful attention] searched [sought, inquired about] carefully for the goat [hairy, a wild goat] of the sin [guilt, punishment for sin] offering, and behold [look, take notice], it had been burned up [completely consumed by fire]. He was angry [furious, intensely displeased] with Eleazar [God has helped] and Ithamar [uncertain, but possibly ‘island of the palm tree’], Aaron’s [the first high priest] remaining [left, surviving] sons, and asked [said, spoke to them], word study 17 “Why didn’t you eat [consume, devour] the sin offering [sacrifice for sin, purification] in the holy place [sanctuary, sacred area]? For it is most holy [set apart, consecrated]; it was given to you [assigned, entrusted] to take away [bear, lift] the guilt [iniquity, moral evil] of the congregation [gathering, community] by making atonement [covering, reconciling] for them before the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 18 Since its blood [the liquid that flows through the body] was not brought [not taken, not carried] inside the holy place [the sacred sanctuary, the temple], you should have eaten [consumed, devoured] it in the sanctuary area [the holy place, the sacred tent], as I commanded [gave orders, appointed].” word study 19 But Aaron replied to Moses, “Behold [look, pay attention], this very day [at this present time] they presented [offered, brought near] their sin offering [atonement, purification] and their burnt offering [sacrifice, gift to God] before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. Since these things [such events, tragedies] have happened to me, if I had eaten [consumed, partaken of] the sin offering [atonement, purification] today [on this day], would it have been acceptable [pleasing, well-pleasing] in the sight [presence, eyes] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]?” word study 20 And when Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] heard [to hear and listen, often implying attention and obedience] this explanation [what Aaron had to say], he was [it was] satisfied [content, pleasing in his sight, well-pleasing]. word study