Wesley Corpus

Chapter X 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. 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 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 expressly, though that be not here mentioned, nor was it necessary it should be. 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, 2Sam 2:26. Thus lightning many times kill persons, without any hurt to their garments. 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, 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, 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.