Second son of Aaron, the high priest. The Lord killed him and his brother Nadab died after they made an unauthorized offering.
About Abihu
The second son of Aaron and Elisheba (Exodus 6:23; Numbers 26:60; 1 Chronicles 6:3).
Abihu and his brother Nadab joined Moses, Aaron, and the 70 elders of Israel in worshiping the glory of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1–11). The four sons of Aaron were made priests with their father (Exodus 28:1), but later Abihu and Nadab were burned to death for offering “unauthorized fire” before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1; see also Numbers 3:2–4; 26:61; 1 Chronicles 24:1–2).
Family Relationships
Key References
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
All Scripture References (12)
Exodus (4)
And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.
Leviticus (1)
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
Numbers (4)
These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, then Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Nadab and Abihu, however, died in the presence of the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai. And since they had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron,
but Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD.
1 Chronicles (3)
These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.