The Meaning of Leviticus 10:6 Explained

Leviticus 10:6

KJV: And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

YLT: And Moses saith unto Aaron, and to Eleazar, and to Ithamar his sons, 'Your heads ye do not uncover, and your garments ye do not rend, that ye die not, and on all the company He be wroth; as to your brethren, the whole house of Israel, they bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled;

Darby: And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar his sons, Your heads shall ye not uncover, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come on all the assembly; but your brethren, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled.

ASV: And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither rend your clothes; that ye die not, and that he be not wroth with all the congregation: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  said  unto Aaron,  and unto Eleazar  and unto Ithamar,  his sons,  Uncover  not your heads,  neither rend  your clothes;  lest ye die,  and lest wrath  come upon all the people:  but let your brethren,  the whole house  of Israel,  bewail  the burning  which the LORD  hath kindled. 

What does Leviticus 10:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 10:1-11 - A Deed That Turned Joy Into Grief
There was a double blessing. First, Aaron blessed the people when he stood against the altar, Leviticus 9:22, and afterward, when he came out of the Tabernacle, Leviticus 9:23. We find here the analogue of the double blessing which our Lord gives His own. When He came from offering His supreme sacrifice on Calvary, which was burned-offering, peace-offering, sin- and trespass-offerings combined, He blessed His own. We are told that as He blessed them He was borne upward to heaven, Luke 24:51; but we expect another blessing from Him, when He shall come forth out of the heavenly Temple and extend His hands in benediction, using perhaps the very words of the ancient benediction. But take care lest you ever introduce strange fire into your worship-i.e., the fire of your own emotions, enthusiasm and excitement. Ponder those mighty words in Leviticus 10:3. We must not rush carelessly into the divine presence, though by the blood of Jesus we have been made nigh, Ephesians 2:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 10

1  Aadab and Abihu, for offering strange fire, are burnt by fire
6  Aaron and his sons are forbidden to mourn for them
8  The priests are forbidden wine when they are to go into the tabernacle
12  The law of eating the holy things
16  Aaron's excuse for transgressing thereof

What do the individual words in Leviticus 10:6 mean?

And said Moses to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons your heads not do uncover and your clothes nor tear and lest you die and upon all the people wrath come But let your brothers the whole house of Israel bewail - the burning which has kindled Yahweh
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶֽל־ אַהֲרֹ֡ן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר ׀ בָּנָ֜יו רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם אַל־ תִּפְרָ֣עוּ ׀ וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם לֹֽא־ תִפְרֹ֙מוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֔תוּ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־ הָעֵדָ֖ה יִקְצֹ֑ף וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ כָּל־ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִבְכּוּ֙ אֶת־ הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר שָׂרַ֥ף יְהוָֽה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֹשֶׁ֣ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אַהֲרֹ֡ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩  and  to  Eleazar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְעָזָר  
Sense: Additional Information: Eleazar = “God has helped”.
וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר ׀  and  Ithamar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִיתָמָר  
Sense: fourth and youngest son of Aaron.
בָּנָ֜יו  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם  your  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
תִּפְרָ֣עוּ ׀  do  uncover 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: פָּרַע 
Sense: to lead, act as leader.
וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם  and  your  clothes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
לֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִפְרֹ֙מוּ֙  tear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: פָּרַם  
Sense: (Qal) to tear, rend garment, rip.
וְלֹ֣א  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תָמֻ֔תוּ  you  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְעַ֥ל  and  upon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָעֵדָ֖ה  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
יִקְצֹ֑ף  wrath  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָצַף  
Sense: to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth.
וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙  But  let  your  brothers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
כָּל־  the  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בֵּ֣ית  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
יִבְכּוּ֙  bewail 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה  the  burning 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׂרֵפָה  
Sense: burning.
שָׂרַ֥ף  has  kindled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.