Chapter 10:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Exodus Numbers
Leviticus 10
The death of Nadab and Abihu, and quieting of Aaron, ver. 1-3.
Orders given to bury them, and not to mourn, ver. 4-7. A
command not to drink wine or strong drink, and to distinguish
between holy and unholy, ver. 8-11. Directions concerning the
parts of the burnt-offerings which were to be eaten, ver. 12-15.
Moses reproves the priests, but is pacified by Aaron, ver. 16-20.
Verse 1. Strange fire - Fire so called, because not taken from the altar, as
it ought, but from some common fire. Before the Lord - Upon the
altar of incense. Which he commanded not - Not commanding
may be here put for forbidding, as it is, Jer. xxxii, 35. Now as this
was forbidden implicitly; chap. vi, 12, especially when God
himself made a comment upon that text, and by sending fire from
heaven declared of what fire he there spake; so it is more than
probable it was forbidden expressly, though that be not here
mentioned, nor was it necessary it should be.
Verse 2. From the Lord - From heaven, or rather from the sanctuary.
Devoured them - Destroyed their lives; for their bodies and
garments were not consumed. Thus the sword is said to devour, 2
Sam. ii, 26. Thus lightning many times kill persons, without any
hurt to their garments.
Verse 3. The Lord spake - Though the words be not recorded in
scripture, where only the heads of discourses are contained, yet it
is probable they were uttered by Moses in God's name.
Howsoever the sense of them is in many places. I will be
sanctified - This may note, either,
1. their duty to sanctify God, to demean themselves with such
care, and reverence, and watchfulness, as becomes the holiness of
the God whom they serve; whence he leaves them to gather the
justice of the present judgment. Or,
2. God's purpose to sanctify himself, to manifest himself to be an
holy and righteous God by his severe and impartial punishment of
all transgressors, how near soever they are to him. That come nigh
me - Who draw near to me, or to the place where I dwell, and are
admitted into the holy place, whence others are shut out. It is a
description of the priests. I will be glorified - As they have sinned
publickly and scandalously, so I will vindicate my honour in a
public and exemplary manner, that all men may learn to give me
the glory of my holiness by an exact conformity to my laws. And
Aaron held his peace - In acknowledgment of God's justice and
submission to it. He murmured not, nor replied against God.
Verse 4. Moses called Mishael - For Aaron and his sons were employed
in their holy ministrations, from which they were not called for
funeral solemnities. Brethren - That is, kinsmen, as that word is
oft used. Out of the camp - Where the burying-places of the Jews
were, that the living might neither be annoyed by the
unwholesome scent of the dead, nor defiled by the touch of their
graves.
Verse 5. In their coats - In the holy garments wherein they ministered;
which might be done, either,
1. as a testimony of respect due to them, notwithstanding their
present failure; and that God in judgment remembered mercy, and
when he took away their lives, spared their souls. Or,
2. because being polluted both by their sin, and by the touch of
their dead bodies, God would not have them any more used in his
service.
Verse 6. Uncover not your head - That is, give no signification of your
sorrow; mourn not for them; partly lest you should seem to justify
your brethren, and tacitly reflect upon God as too severe; and
partly lest thereby you should be diverted from, or disturbed in
your present service, which God expects to be done chearfully.
But bewail the burning - Not so much in compassion to them, as
in sorrow for the tokens of divine displeasure.
Verse 7. Ye shall not go from the tabernacle - Where at this time they
were, because this happened within seven days of their
consecration. The oil of the Lord is upon you - You are persons
consecrated peculiarly to God's service, which therefore it is just
you should prefer before all funeral solemnities.
Verse 9. Drink not wine - it is not improbable, that the sin of Nadab and
Abihu was owing to this very thing. But if not, yet drunkenness is
so odious a sin in itself, especially in a minister, and most of all in
the time of his administration of sacred things, that God saw fit to
prevent all occasions of it. And hence the devil, who is God's ape,
required this abstinence from his priests in their idolatrous
service.
Verse 10. Between holy and unholy - Persons and things, which Nadab
and Abihu did not.
Verse 11. Ye may teach - Which drunken persons are very unfit to do.
Verse 12. Eat it - Moses repeats the command, partly lest their grief
should cause them to neglect their meat prescribed by God,
(which abstinence would have been both a signification of their
sorrow which God had forbidden them, and a new transgression
of a divine precept;) and partly to encourage them to go on in their
holy services, and not to be dejected, as if God would no more
accept them or their sacrifices.
Verse 13. In the holy place - in the court, near the altar of burnt-
offerings.
Verse 14. In a clean place - In any of your dwellings, or any place in the
camp, which was kept clean from all ceremonial defilement. In
any place where the women as well as the men might come, for
the daughters of the priest might eat these as well as their sons, if
they were maids, or widows, or divorced, chap. xxii, 11-13.
Verse 16. He was angry with Eleazar - He spares Aaron at this time, as
overwhelmed with sorrow, and because the rebuking him before
his sons might have exposed him to some contempt; but he knew
that the reproof though directed to them, would concern him too.
Who were left alive - And therefore ought to have taken warning.
Verse 17. God hath given it to you - As a reward of your service,
whereby you expiate, bear, and take away their sins, by offering
those sacrifices, by which God through Christ is reconciled to the
penitent and believing offerers.
Verse 18. The blood was not brought in - Because Aaron was not yet
admitted into the holy place, whither that blood should have been
brought, 'till he had prepared the way by the sacrifices which were
to be offered in the court.
Verse 19. They have offered - They have done the substance of the
thing, though they have mistaken this one circumstance. Such
things - Whereby, haying been oppressed with grief, it is not
strange nor unpardonable if I have mistaked. Should it have been
accepted - Because it was not to be eaten with sorrow, but with
rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Verse 20. He rested satisfied with his answer. it appeared, that Aaron
sincerely aimed at pleasing God: and those who do so, will find he
is not extreme to mark what is done amiss.
Chapter 10:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Exodus Numbers
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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