'strange fire'

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Strange fire

The exact nature of the strange fire is debated, but it is said by some that it could be that Nadab and Abihu were not burning the incense with fire carried from the altar where sacrifice were burnt up, as specified in Leviticus 16:12.[1]

All the things brought to the altar were freewill offerings in order to be consumed and many think that that consumption was by fire as if all those things that were brought were then burned up. Considering how hard life was and how much complaining was recorded in the text there should have been considerably more objection to the absolute loss of possessions that had to be occurring with the burning up of so many of their meager resources.

Historically it does not make sense that so many city-states had complex systems of welfare to provide for their people from Babylon to Egypt or Sumer and the Israelites were constructing a system where you burned up every thing that those other city states distributed amongst the needy and poor. If we examine some of these words in the context of human nature and the problems in the world at the time.

Fire that burns the soul

Is Strange fire and even the word fire[2] metaphors?

Fire as we use the term is a process. It is a chemical conversion, using oxygen to combine with the item being burnt, and the result is heat, hot gases (such as carbon dioxide) and ashes.

Strange[3] can mean that which is foreign or that which is unrecognized, but also a strange woman or harlot. The theme of a harlot and whoredom as well as national adultery.

The word fire in the Old Testament is אֵשׂ‎ ‘esh translated fire some 373 times but the same letters is translated as an adverb into the words can and there once each.[4]

In the kingdom of God, purity is recognized, and impurity (evil, corruption) is unrecognized. The unrecognized items must be rejected as estranged from the processes of God and His righteousness.

In Leviticus 10:1 "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered[5] strange[3] fire[2] before the LORD, which he commanded them not."

Strange or adulterous

The Hebrew word we see translated strange which is in the phrase strange fire is zuwr (זוּר‎)[3] spelled with the letters ZayinVavReish. Zuwr as a verb and "primitive root word" it is primarily defined as "to be strange". But if we explore the way zuwr is translated in other verses we can see "strange woman" in Proverbs[6] because zuwr is also defined as "prostitute, harlot".

Nadab and Abihu as the sons of Aaron held a high position in the Church in the wilderness. They would eventually receive the heave offering and also deal with the wave offering. These were important to the welfare of all of Israel. The term harlot will be equated with an apostate church because of the adultery and whoredom of the nation.

Strange or oppressed

The Hebrew word zuwr translated strange is identical to another Hebrew word also spelled ZayinVavReish zuwr (זוּר‎) [7] but is defined as "to press, squeeze, crush, press down and out" and is translated closed, thrust … together, crush. This verb zuwr is a primitive root that can be compared to the word tsowq (צוֹק)‎ and‎ tsuwqah (צוקה)[8] and as a noun is defined as "constraint, distress... anguish". The noun tsowq is from the verb tsuwq (צוּק)‎[9] and translated distress, oppressor, and sore. It again spelled the same (TzadikVavKuf) as tsuwq‎ (צוּק)‎[10] meaning "to pour out, melt". It has been associated with the term meaning anguish and oppression.

Fire or foundation

The word fire in the text is esh(אֵשׂ‎)[2] translated fire over 370 times. While it contains only two letters, the AlefShin, it is the same as the Aramaic esh(אֵשׂ‎)[11] translated "flame" and the adverb esh(אֵשׂ‎)[12] meaning "there is, there are". The letters AlefShin esh(אֵשׂ‎)[13] also appear three times in the Book of Ezra as an abbreviation for the word foundation[14] where it is the bases of "building the rebellious(מָרָד‎)[15] and the bad(evil) (בִּאוּשׁ‎)[16] city".

Jeremiah 6:29 "The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire(אֶשָּׁה)‎ ‘eshshah[17] <0800 ; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away."

Numbers 3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange[3] fire[2] 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.

The word censor contains a double Tav.

Numbers 26:61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange[3] fire[2] before the LORD.

Isaiah 1:7 Your country [is] desolate, your cities [are] burned with fire <0784>: your land, strangers <02114> devour it in your presence, and [it is] desolate, as overthrown by strangers <02114>.

Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.


In the kingdom of God, processes happen by way of using our conscience to discern that which is right and good. Using the Law of God as a basis, the process results in a decision. The goodness of the Father in heaven requires that each of His servants must likewise decide according to that which is good. If a process of conversion of an offering from its grantor to its recipient is well-pleasing to God, then it is a good process, which should be called holy fire, but anything other than that which pleases God is strange fire.

If we read in the Bible on the topic of justice, it is clear that certain things are not right and good. For example, taking bribes destroys justice. Therefore, a bribe brought to the altar of Christ is an example of strange fire.


Olah (Burnt Offering) Minchah (Grain Offering) Hata-at (Purification Offering or Sin Offering) Asham (Reparation Offering)

Shelem Zevah (Peace Offering)[18]

In Exodus 35 verse 3 we see, "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."

To "kindle a" fire is normally the Hebrew term בָּעַר‎ ba‘ar[19]. The letters BeitAyinReish בַּעַר‎ ba‘ar can also mean stupid and brutish even a foolish (person)[20] and even "consume" or "to be grazed". But the term ba‘ar(בָּעַר)‎ which we see translated "kindle" appears in the text as תְבַעֲר֣וּ ṯəḇa‘ărū one time which is TavBeitAyinReishVav.

The term for dwelling is מוֹשָׁב mowshab or more often just משׁב‎ moshab MemShinBeit[21] which is from the primitive root יָשַׁב‎ yashab[22] which can mean dwell or just "to sit or sit down" but the phrase "throughout your habitations" is produced by the term that appears in the text as מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם mōwōšəḇōṯêḵem which is MemShinBeitTavYodKafMem.

Remembering that the Sabbath was not a day but the way of working first: we should ask is the prohibition about not kindling a fire (לֹא־תְבַעֲר֣וּ אֵ֔שׁ) or was it about "not being stupid and brutish in all your dwellings or sitting down in the way of the Sabbath? What do we need to learn about Leaven, Breeches or about eating Milk and meat and about Strange fire?

Exodus 30:9 ???

Another theory

There is also Leviticus 10:9 "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations:" and some speculate that the two men came into the tabernacle drinking alcohol.

  1. ↑ Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the vail: 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he die not: 14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 0784 אֵשׂ‎ AlefShin ‘esh [aysh] a primitive word; n f; [BDB-77a] [{See TWOT on 172 }] AV-fire 373, burning 1, fiery 1, untranslated variant 1, fire + 0800 1, flaming 1, hot 1; 379
    1) fire
    1a) fire, flames
    1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)
    1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)
    1d) altar-fire
    1e) God’s anger (fig.)
    • א Alef Father-Son- begin- The Paradox: God and Man - (ox bull) [strength, leader, first] (Numeric value: 1)
    • ש Shin Eternal Flame of Spiritual Revelation, bound to the coal of righteousness, the Divine Essence. [sun... teeth... consume destroy] (Numeric value: 300)
    • 0785 אֵשׁ‎ ‘esh (A) fire; 0786 אִשׁ‎ ‘ish (adv) there is, there are; 0787 אשׁ‎ ‘osh (Aramaic) foundation.
    • see 0800 fire from 0784 אֵשׂ‎ ‘esh fire -0787 foundation; 0801 burnt offering,; 0802 woman, wife, female
    • See fire Hebrew letters( אוּר‎ AlefVavReish) 0217 meaning flame, light of fire.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 02114 זוּר‎ zuwr [zoor] a primitive root; v; [BDB-266a, BDB-266b] [{See TWOT on 541 }] AV-stranger 45, strange 18, estranged 4, stranger + 0376 3, another 2, strange woman 2, gone away 1, fanners 1, another place 1; 77
    1) to be strange, be a stranger
    1a) (Qal)
    1a1) to become estranged
    1a2) strange, another, stranger, foreigner, an enemy (participle)
    1a3) loathsome (of breath) (participle)
    1a4) strange woman, prostitute, harlot (meton)
    1b) (Niphal) to be estranged
    1c) (Hophal) to be a stranger, be one alienated
  4. ↑ 0786 אִשׁ‎ ‘ish [eesh] identical (in origin and formation) with [[0784] fire]; adv subst; [BDB-78a] [{See TWOT on 173 }] AV-can 1, there 1; 2
    1) there is, there are
  5. ↑ 07126 ^ברק^ qarab \@kaw-rab’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 2065} AV-offer 95, (come, draw, … ) near 58, bring 58, (come, draw, … ) nigh 18, come 12, approach 10, at hand 4, presented 2, misc 13; 280
    1) to come near, approach, enter into, draw near
    1a) (Qal) to approach, draw near
    1b) (Niphal) to be brought near
    1c) (Piel) to cause to approach, bring near, cause to draw near
    1d) (Hiphil) to bring near, bring, present
  6. ↑ Proverbs 2:16 To deliver thee from the strange <02114> woman<0802(אִשָּׁה)‎ ‘ishshah. Same as 0802(אִשָּׁה)‎ ‘ishshah an "offering... by fire"(65)>, [even] from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words;
    Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman <02114> drop [as] an honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than oil:
    Proverbs 5:20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman <02114>, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
    Proverbs 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange <02114> woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.
    Proverbs 20:16 Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger <02114>: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
    Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger <02114>, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
  7. ↑ 02115 זוּר‎ zuwr [zoor] a primitive root [compare 06695 צוֹק‎ tsowq= anguish (constraint)]; v; [BDB-266b] [{See TWOT on 543 }] AV-closed 1, thrust … together 1, crush 1; 3
    1) (Qal) to press, squeeze, crush, press down and out
    1a) to close up (of a wound)
    • Same as 02114 זוּר‎ zuwr = strange
  8. ↑ 06695 צוֹק‎ tsowq [tsoke] or (fem.) צוקה‎ tsuwqah [tsoo-kaw’] from 06693 oppress; n m/n f; [BDB-848a] [{See TWOT on 1895 @@ "1895a" }] [{See TWOT on 1895 @@ "1895b" }] AV-anguish 4; 4
    n m
    1) constraint, distress, strait
    1a) distress, anguish (fig.)
    n f
    2) pressure, distress
  9. ↑ 06693 צוּק‎ tsuwq [tsook] a primitive root; v; [BDB-847b] [{See TWOT on 1895 }] AV-distress 5, oppressor 2, sore 1, press 1, straiten 1; 11
    1) (Hiphil) to constrain, press, bring into straits, straiten, oppress
  10. ↑ 06694 צוּק‎ tsuwq [tsook] a primitive root [identical with 06693 through the idea of narrowness (of orifice)]; v; [BDB-848a] [{See TWOT on 1896 }] AV-pour 2, molten 1; 3
    1) (Qal) to pour out, melt
  11. ↑ 0785 אֵשׁ‎ ‘esh (Aramaic) [aysh] corresponding to 0784; n f; [BDB-1083a] [{See TWOT on 2614 }] AV-flame 1; 1
    1) fire
  12. ↑ 0786 אִשׁ‎ ‘ish [eesh] identical (in origin and formation) with [[0784] fire]; adv subst; [BDB-78a] [{See TWOT on 173 }] AV-can 1, there 1; 2
    1) there is, there are
  13. ↑ 0787 אשׁ‎ ‘osh (Aramaic) [ohsh] corresponding (by transposition and abbrev.) to 0803; n m; [BDB-1083a] [{See TWOT on 2613 }] AV-foundation 3; 3
    1) foundation
  14. ↑ Ezra 4:12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls [thereof], and joined the foundations <0787>.
    Ezra 5:16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation <0787> of the house of God which [is] in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and [yet] it is not finished.
    Ezra 6:3 In the first year of Cyrus the king [the same] Cyrus the king made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations <0787> thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, [and] the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
  15. ↑ 04779 מָרָד‎ marad (Aramaic) [maw-rawd’] from the same as 04776; adj; [BDB-1101b] [{See TWOT on 2840 @@ "2840b" }] AV-rebellious 2; 2
    1) rebellious
  16. ↑ 0873 בִּאוּשׁ‎ bi’uwsh (Aramaic) [be-oosh’] from 0888; n f; [BDB-1084a] [{See TWOT on 2622 @@ "2622a" }] AV-bad 1; 1
    1) evil, bad, be evil
  17. ↑ 0800 אֶשָּׁה‎ ‘eshshah [esh-shaw’] from 0784 fire; n f; [BDB-77b] [{See TWOT on 172 }] AV-fire 1; 1
    1) fire
  18. ↑ 08002 ^םלשׁ^ shelem \@sheh’- lem\@ from 07999 שָׁלַם‎ shalam to be in a covenant of peace; n m; AV-peace offerings 81, peace 6; 87
    1) peace offering, requital, sacrifice for alliance or friendship
    1a) voluntary sacrifice of thanks
    • 07999 שָׁלַם‎ shalam make peace; 08000 שְׁלַם‎ shëlam finish; 08001 שְׁלָם‎ shëlam welfare, (from 07965 שָׁלוֹם‎ shalowm welfare, safe, health); 08002 שֶׁלֶם‎ shelem peace offering; 08003 שָׁלֵם‎ shalem complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole; 08004 שָׁלֵם‎ Shalem Melchizedek's polis; 08005 שִׁלֵּם‎ shillem recompense; 08006 שִׁלֵּם‎ Shillem repaid; 08008 שַׂלְמָה salmah‎ garment and 08010 שְׁלמֹה‎ Shëlomoh which is the name of Solomon, from 07965 שָׁלוֹם‎ shalowm translated peace 175, well 14, peaceably 9, welfare 5,
  19. ↑ 01197 ^רעב^ ba‘ar \@baw-ar’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 263} AV-burn 41,  …  away 21, kindle 13, brutish 7, eaten 2, set 2, burn up 2, eat up 2, feed 1, heated 1, took 1, wasted 1; 94
    1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled
    1a) (Qal)
    1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning
    1a2) to burn, be burning
    1a3) to burn, consume
    1a4) Jehovah’s wrath, human wrath (fig.)
    1b) (Piel)
    1b1) to kindle, burn
    1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)
    1c) (Hiphil)
    1c1) to kindle
    1c2) to burn up
    1c3) to consume (destroy)
    1d) (Pual) to burn
    v denom
    2) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous
    2a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive
    2b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted
    2c) (Piel) to feed, graze
    2d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over
  20. ↑ 01198 ^רעב^ ba‘ar \@bah’- ar\@ from 01197 burn, consume, brutish; n m; AV-brutish 4, foolish 1; 5
    1) brutishness, stupidity, brutish (person)
  21. ↑ 04186 מוֹשָׁב‎ mowshab [mo-shawb’] or משׁב‎ moshab [mo-shawb’] from 03427 dwell; n m; [BDB-444a] [{See TWOT on 922 @@ "922c" }] AV-habitation 12, dwellings 8, seat 7, dwelling 4, dwellingplace 3, dwell 3, places 2, sitting 2, assembly 1, situation 1, sojourning 1; 44
    1) seat, assembly, dwelling-place, dwelling, dwellers
    1a) seat, sitting, those sitting, sitting company or assembly
    1b) dwelling place, dwelling
    1c) situation, location
    1d) time of dwelling
    1e) those dwelling, dweller
  22. ↑ 03427 ^בשׁי^ yashab \@yaw-shab’\@ a primitive root YodShinBeit; contains the word 03426 יֵשׁ‎ exisiting, be, have; v; AV-dwell 437, inhabitant 221, sit 172, abide 70, inhabit 39, down 26, remain 23, in 22, tarry 19, set 14, continue 5, place 7, still 5, taken 5, misc 23; 1088
    1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
    1a) (Qal)
    1a1) to sit, sit down
    1a2) to be set
    1a3) to remain, stay
    1a4) to dwell, have one’s abode
    1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
    1c) (Piel) to set, place
    1d) (Hiphil)
    1d1) to cause to sit
    1d2) to cause to abide, set
    1d3) to cause to dwell
    1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
    1d5) to marry (give a dwelling to)
    1e) (Hophal)
    1e1) to be inhabited
    1e2) to make to dwell
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