The Meaning of Numbers 3:4 Explained

Numbers 3:4

KJV: And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

YLT: And Nadab dieth -- Abihu also -- before Jehovah, in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and sons they had not; and Eleazar -- Ithamar also -- acteth as priest in the presence of Aaron their father.

Darby: And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah when they offered strange fire before Jehovah in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons; and Eleazar and Ithamar exercised the priesthood in the presence of Aaron their father.

ASV: And Nadab and Abihu died before Jehovah, when they offered strange fire before Jehovah, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Nadab  and Abihu  died  before  the LORD,  when they offered  strange  fire  before  the LORD,  in the wilderness  of Sinai,  and they had no children:  and Eleazar  and Ithamar  ministered in the priest's office  in the sight  of Aaron  their father. 

What does Numbers 3:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 3:1-13 - 44-51, The Substitute For The First-Born
The Levites were taken, instead of the firstborn sons of Israel, to perform the service of the Tabernacle. There were nearly as many Levites as first-born, and the difference was made good by the payment of redemption money on the part of the overplus, Numbers 3:45-48. So each of us has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb to belong to God and to minister to Him! Aaron's family provided the priesthood, Leviticus 3:9-10. The rest of the tribe performed the more irksome duties of ministry and transport.
The Gershonites, as eldest, pitched westward of the Tabernacle, and cared for the hangings and curtains. The Kohathites, because related to Aaron, pitched southward, and had charge of the sacred vessels. The Merarites pitched northward, and had charge of the boards and sockets. It was enough for each to know that his place and charge were God-appointed. Even to carry a pin became honorable, when God had allotted that to a man as his share. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 3

1  The sons of Aaron
5  The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14  Are numbered by their families
21  The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27  Of the Kohathites
33  Of the Merarites
38  The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40  The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44  The balances are refunded

What do the individual words in Numbers 3:4 mean?

And had died Nadab and Abihu before Yahweh when they offered fire profane Yahweh in the Wilderness of Sinai And children no they had - so ministered as priests Eleazar and Ithamar in the presence of Aaron their father -
וַיָּ֣מָת נָדָ֣ב וַאֲבִיה֣וּא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֡ה בְּֽהַקְרִבָם֩ אֵ֨שׁ זָרָ֜ה יְהוָה֙ בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־ הָי֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וַיְכַהֵ֤ן אֶלְעָזָר֙ וְאִ֣יתָמָ֔ר עַל־ פְּנֵ֖י אַהֲרֹ֥ן אֲבִיהֶֽם פ

וַיָּ֣מָת  And  had  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
נָדָ֣ב  Nadab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָדָב  
Sense: eldest son of Aaron by Elisheba; struck dead before the sanctuary in the wilderness for kindling the censers with strange fire.
וַאֲבִיה֣וּא  and  Abihu 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִיהוּא  
Sense: a son of Aaron destroyed for sacrificing strange fire to God.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֡ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּֽהַקְרִבָם֩  when  they  offered 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
אֵ֨שׁ  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
זָרָ֜ה  profane 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
סִינַ֔י  of  Sinai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
וּבָנִ֖ים  And  children 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הָי֣וּ  they  had 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָהֶ֑ם    - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וַיְכַהֵ֤ן  so  ministered  as  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּהַן  
Sense: to act as a priest, minister in a priest’s office.
אֶלְעָזָר֙  Eleazar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְעָזָר  
Sense: Additional Information: Eleazar = “God has helped”.
וְאִ֣יתָמָ֔ר  and  Ithamar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִיתָמָר  
Sense: fourth and youngest son of Aaron.
פְּנֵ֖י  the  presence 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אַהֲרֹ֥ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
אֲבִיהֶֽם  their  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Numbers 3:4?

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