And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.
- KJV But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.
- BSB But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
- NASB But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
- NLT But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Nadab and Abihu died before their father without children, so Eleazar and Ithamar carried on the priestly office. The priesthood continued through the two surviving sons.
Overview
Recalling the judgment on Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire, this verse explains why the priestly line continued only through Eleazar and Ithamar. Their solemn fate stands as a warning about the seriousness of approaching a holy God on His terms. Yet God preserved the priesthood through the remaining sons, ensuring His worship would continue.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Lev 10:2Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.
- Num 3:4Nadab and Abihu died before Yahweh, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the presence of Aaron their father.
- Num 26:61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before Yahweh.
- Exod 29:9You shall clothe them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
- Num 18:7You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
- Exod 24:1He said to Moses, “Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
- Exod 24:9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
- Lev 10:12Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;
- Num 16:39–40Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The genealogies and the everlasting covenant with David trace the single thread of promise running through the generations straight to the Christ in whom the line reaches its goal.
How 1 Chronicles 24:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.