Leviticus 10

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 So called, as not appointed for, nor belonging to, the present work, fire not taken from the Altar as it ought, but from some common fire. before the LORD Upon the Altar of incense., which he commanded them not For seeing Moses himself neither did nor might do any thing in Gods worship without Gods command, which is oft noted of him, for these to do it was a more unpardonable and inexcusable presumption. Besides, not commanding may be here put for forbidding, as it is Ier. 32. 35. Now as this was forbidden implicitly, Lev. 6. 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 expresly, though that be not here mentioned, nor was it necessary it should be..

And there went out fire from the LORD From heaven, or rather from the Sanctuary. See chap. 9. 24., and devoured them Destroyed their lives: for their bodies and garments were not consumed, as it appears from v. 4, 5. Thus the sword is said to devour 2 Sam. 2. 26. Thus lightning many times kills persons, without any hurt to their bodies or garments., and they died before the LORD.

Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake Though the express words be not recorded in Scripture, where only the heads of Sermons and Discourses are contained, yet it is probable they were uttered by Moses in Gods name. Howsoever, the sense and substance of them is in many places. See Exod. 19. 22. and 29. 43. Levit. 8. 35., saying, I will be sanctified This may note, either 1. their duty to sanctifie God, i. e. to demean themselves with such care and reverence and watchfulness as becomes the holiness of the God whom they serve, and of the worship in which they are engaged: whence he leaves them to gather the justice of the present judgment for their gross neglect herein. Or 2. Gods purpose to sanctifie himself, i. e. to declare and 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. in them that come nigh me (i. e.) 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. See Exod. 19. 22. Levit. 21. 17. Ezek. 42. 13, 14., and before all the people I will be glorified As they have sinned publickly and scandalously so I will vindicate my honour in a publick and exemplary manner, that all men may learn to give me the glory of my soveraignty and holiness by an exact conformity to my laws.: and Aaron held his peace Partly through excessive grief, which is sometimes signified by silence, as Isa. 47. 5. Lam. 2. 10. and principally in acknowledgment of Gods justice and submission to it. Compare Psal. 39. 10. Ezek. 24. 17. He murmured not, nor replied against God, nor against Moses, wisely considering that their sin was directly against God, and in that which is most dear and honourable in Gods account, to wit, in his worship; and that Gods honour ought to be dearer to him than his sons; and that this being the first violation of the law newly given, and committed by those who should have been the strictest observers and assertors of it, did deserve a very severe punishment..

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan For Aaron and his sons had scarce finished their consecration-work, and were employed in their holy ministrations, from which they were not to be called for funeral solemnities. See Lev.... 1. 1, &c. the sons of Uzziel, the uncle of Aaron See Exod. 6. 18. Numb. 3. 19., and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren (i. e.) Kinsmen, as that word is oft used, as Gen. 13. 8. and 24. 27. from before the Sanctuary, out of the camp Where the burying places of the Iews were, that the living might neither be annoyed by the unwholsome sent of the dead, nor defiled by the touch of their graves..

So they went near, and carried them in their coats In the holy garments wherein they ministred, which might be done either 1. as a testimony of a respect due to them notwithstanding their present failure, and that God in judgment remembred 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. out of the camp, as Moses had said.

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar, and unto Ithamar his sons, Uncover not your heads Either 1. by putting off your Miters and Bonnets, or Ornaments, and going bare-headed, as mourners sometimes did. See Lev. 13. 45. Ezek. 24. 17, 23. Or 2. by shaving off the hair of your heads and beards, as mourners did. See Iob 1. 20. Ier. 7. 29. and 41. 5. Ezek. 4.... 20. Mich. 1. 16. This latter may seem to be principally intended, 1. because this ceremony of uncovering the head being used by the people as well as by the Priests in case of mourning, as the places now alledged show, and the other ceremony here joyned with it of rending the clothes, being also common to the people, seems to imply that he speaks not of that uncovering the head which was peculiar to the Priests, but to that which was common both to Priests and people, especially seeing that which is here forbidden to these Priests is in the following words allowed to the people, to bewail their death, which as at other times it was, so now probably might be performed by these same ceremonies. 2. because the High-priest is forbidden to uncover his head in way of mourning for the dead not only at that time when he was in actual ministration, but at all times, even when he had neither his miter nor any of the holy garments upon him, Lev. 21. 10., neither rend your clothes Give no signification of your sorrow, mourn not for them, partly lest you should seem to justifie and approve of your brethren and tacitly reflect upon God as too severe in his proceedings with them; and partly least thereby you should be diverted from or disturbed in your present service, which God expects should be done chearfully., lest you die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled Not so much in compassion to them against whom I have showed such great and just indignation, as in sorrow for the tokens of Divine displeasure..

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation Where at this time they were, either because this happened within the 7 days of their consecration: See Lev. 8. 35. or because they were longer detained there about some other holy ministrations. Though the former may seem more probable, because the meat-offering here mentioned, ver. 12. and the sin-offering, ver. 16. were part of the consecration-offerings., lest you die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you You are persons consecrated peculiarly to Gods service, which therefore it is just and reasonable you should prefer before all funeral solemnities.: and they did according to the word of Moses.

And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

Do not drink wine nor strong drink This is here added, either because Nadab and Abihu had been led to their errour by drinking too much, which might easily fall out when they were feasting and full of joy for their entrance into so honourable and profitable an employment; or at lest because others might thereby be drawn to commit the same miscarriages, which they might now commit from other causes. Drunkenness is so odious a sin in it self, 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 Gods ape in his prescriptions for his worship, required this abstinence from his Priests in their Idolatrous services.; 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:

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy Persons and things, which Nadab and Abihu did not, mistaking unholy or common fire for that which was sacred and appointed by God for their use., and between unclean and clean.

And that ye may teach Be apt to teach aright which dr... nken persons are very unfit to do. the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

And whosoever beareth Or, taketh away, out of the place where haply it may ly, by which others may be either offended, or polluted. ought of the carcass of them, shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

The carcasses Which word is easily to be understood out of ver. 24. and 25. where it is expressed. of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven footed, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them, shall be unclean.

And whatsoever goeth upon his paws Heb. upon his hands; i. e. which has feet divided into several parts like fingers, as dogs, cats, apes, bears, &c., among all manner of beasts, that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcass, shall be unclean until the even.

And he that beareth the carcass of them, shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

These also shall be unclean unto you, among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the Weasel, and the Mouse, and the Tortois after his kind,

And the Ferret, and the Camelion, and the Lyzard, and the Snail, and the Mole.

These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever does touch them when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, does fall, it shall be unclean, whether it be any vessel of wood, or rayment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even: so it shall be cleansed.

And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and ye shall break it.

Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh The meaning is, that flesh or herbs or other food which is dressed in water, to wit, in a vessel so polluted, shall be unclean, not so, if it be food which is eaten dry, as bread, fruits, &c. the reason of which difference seems to be this, that the water did sooner receive the pollution in it self, and convey it to the food so dressed., shall be unclean: And all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel, shall be unclean.

And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth, shall be unclean, whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

Nevertheless, a fountain, or pit, wherein there is plenty of water Of which no solid reason can be given, whilest such unclean things remained in them, but only the will of the lawgiver and his merciful condescension to mens necessities, water being scarce in those countries, and for the same reason God would have the ceremonial law of sacrifices to be offered to God give place to the moral law of mercy towards men., shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown Partly because this was necessary provision for man; and partly because such seed would not be used for mans food till it had received many alterations in the earth, whereby such pollution was taken away. See Ioh. 12. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 36., it shall be clean.

But if any water be put upon the seed The reason of the difference is, partly because wet seed does sooner receive and longer retain any pollution; and partly because such seed was not fit to be sown presently, and therefore that necessity which justified the use of the dry seed which was speedily to be sown could not be pretended in this case., and any part of their carcass fall thereof, it shall be unclean unto you.

And if any beast of which ye may eat, die Either of it self, or being killed by some wild beast, in which cases the blood was not poured forth, as it was when they were killed by men either for food or sacrifice., he that toucheth the carcass thereof, shall be unclean until the even.

And he that eateth of the carcass of it To wit, unwittingly, for if he did it knowingly, it was a presumptuous sin against an express law, Deut. 14. 21. and therefore punished with cutting off, Numb. 15. 30., shall wash his clothes, and be unclean untill the even: he also that beareth the carcass of it, shall wash his clothes, and be unclean untill the even.

And every creeping thing Except those before expresly excepted above, ver. 29, 30. that creepeth upon the earth, shall be an abomination: it shall not be eaten.

Whatsoever goeth upon the belly As worms and snakes., and whatsoever goeth upon all four As... oads and divers serpents., or whatsoever has more feet To wit, more than four, as caterpillars, &c., among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat, for they are an abomination.

Ye shall not make your selves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make your selves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves, and ye shall be holy By which he gives them to understand, that all these cautions and prohibitions about the eating or touching of these creatures was not for any real uncleanness in them, all being Gods good creatures, but only that by the diligent observation of these rules they might learn with greater care to avoid all moral pollutions, and to keep themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and particularly from all familiar and intimate converse with notorious sinners. for I am holy: neither shall ye defile your selves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth.

To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten, and the beast that may not be eaten.