Leviticus 10:1
And Nadab and Abiu, the sons of Aaron, taking their censers, put fire therein, and incense on it, offering before the Lord strange fire: which was not commanded them.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Arreptisque Nadab et Abiu filii Aaron thuribulis, posuerunt ignem, et incensum desuper, offerentes coram Domino ignem alienum : quod eis præceptum non erat.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ λαβόντες οἱ δύο υἱοὶ Ἀαρὼν Ναδὰβ καὶ Ἀβιοὺδ ἕκαστος τὸ πυρεῖον αὐτοῦ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ πῦρ καὶ ἐπέβαλον ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ θυμίαμα, καὶ προσήνεγκαν ἔναντι Κυρίου πῦρ ἀλλότριον ὃ οὐ προσέταξεν κύριος αὐτοῖς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם
Haydock's commentary
The eldest sons, as they are mentioned first, Exodus vi. 23.
Censers. On the same evening of their consecration.
Fire. Not taken from the altar of holocausts, chap. vi. 9. Whether they neglected to do so out of respect for the miraculous fire, or out of thoughtlessness and inattention, their fault was severely punished, however venial in itself; (Tirinus) that all might learn to comply exactly with God's commands, and not dare to explain them away. Thus we must carefully avoid the mixing of falsehood with the word of God. (Theod., q. 9.) (Worthington)
Those in power, like priests, if they be negligent, shall suffer great torments, Wisdom vi. 7. They must expect to be treated with rigour. (St. Augustine, q. 21.) Estius infers, from the command to abstain from wine being given, (ver. 8,) that these priests had been rather intoxicated. Josephus says, they had not offered proper victims; and the Rabbins assert, that they were not clothed with the sacred garments: but the Scripture only condemns them for taking strange fire. Some imagine, that no formal precept had yet been given. But had not God commanded (chap. vi. 9, 12,) that the victims should be burnt with the perpetual fire on the altar, and were not these young priests guilty of rashness in doing any thing of their own head, without positive instructions? Hence some infer that their offence was mortal, and their punishment a prelude of eternal torments; while others piously hope that their sin was only venial, and that it was expiated by their repentance and violent death, in which sense Philo explains they died before the Lord. Hence they were buried honourably.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Irenaeus Against Heresies: Book IV, Chapter XXVI. The treasure hid in
2. Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters who are in the Church, those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father. But [it is also incumbent] to hold in suspicion others who depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together in any place whatsoever, [looking upon them] either as heretics of perverse minds, or as schismatics puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites, acting thus for the sake of lucre and vainglory. For all these have fallen from the truth. And the heretics, indeed, who bring strange fire to the altar of God, namely, strange doctrines, shall be burned up by the fire from heaven, as were Nadab and Abiud. …
St Augustine On Baptism, Against the Donatists, Chapter 18
24. But we know that Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, who tried to usurp to themselves the right of sacrificing, contrary to the unity of the people of God, and also the sons of Aaron who offered strange fire upon the altar, did not escape punishment. Nor do we say that such offenses remain unpunished, unless those guilty of them correct themselves, if the patience of God leading them to repentance give them time for correction.
St Gregory Nazianzen In Defence of His Flight to Pontus, and His Return, After His Ordination to the Priesthood, with an Exposition of the Character of the Priestly Office
93. I hear again that Nadab and Abihu, for having merely offered incense with strange fire, were with strange fire destroyed, the instrument of their impiety being used for their punishment, and their destruction following at the very time and place of their sacrilege; and not even their father Aaron, who was next to Moses in the favor of God, could save them. I know also of Eli the priest, and a little later of Uzzah, the former made to pay the penalty for his sons’ transgression, in daring to violate the sacrifices by an untimely exaction of the first fruits of the cauldrons, although he did not condone their impiety, but frequently rebuked them; the other, because he only touched the ark, which was being thrown off the cart by the ox, and though he saved it, was himself destroyed, in God’s jealousy for the reverence due to the ark.
St Gregory Nazianzen To His Father, When He Had Entrusted to Him the Care of the Church of Nazianzus
2. I will speak then, since I am so bidden. And I will speak both to the good shepherd here, and to you, his holy flock, as I think is best both for me to speak, and for you to hear to-day. Why is it that you have begged for one to share your shepherd’s toil? For my speech shall begin with you, O dear and honoured head, worthy of that of Aaron, down which runs that spiritual and priestly ointment upon his beard and clothing. Why is it that, while yet able to stablish and guide many, and actually guiding them in the power of the Spirit, you support yourself with a staff and prop in your spiritual works? Is it because you have heard and know that even with the illustrious Aaron were anointed Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron? For I pass over Nadab and Abihu, lest the allusion be ill-omened: and Moses during his lifetime appoints Joshua in his stead, as lawgiver and general over those …