A son of the high priest Aaron who lived during the time of Egyptian slavery and the wilderness wandering of Israel. He, with his brother Abihu, was struck down by God for making an unauthorized offering.
About Nadab
The oldest son of Aaron and Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab (Exodus 6:23; Numbers 3:2; 1 Chronicles 24:1). Nadab became one of Israel’s first priests together with his brothers and father. He participated in the signing of the covenant with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1, 9). God chosen him to serve as a priest (28:1).
Nadab and his brother Abihu, Aaron’s second son, died because they offered “strange fire” to the Lord (Leviticus 10:1–2; Numbers 3:4; 1 Chronicles 24:2). Incense offered in the morning usually came before the cutting up of the sacrifice. In this case “fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them.” The offering of “strange fire” does not appear anywhere else in the Bible.
Jewish teachers have suggested different explanations for what Nadab and Abihu did wrong. An warning against drinking wine in the tent of meeting follows this event (Leviticus 10:9). So, an early tradition held that the brothers were drunk. Any priest who drank alcohol in this holy tent would be punished by death.
An important detail appears in the instructions Moses gave to Aaron, the grieving father of Nadab and Abihu. Moses told Aaron not to mourn or stop his duties as priest. Because Aaron had been set apart by the holy anointing oil, he had to continue serving God. He was not allowed to leave the tent "lest he die." Instead, the rest of Israel mourned for Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:3–7).
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.
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.