STRANGE FIRE
WHAT IS THE LAW OF FIRST MENTION IN BIBLE
STUDY? The law (or principle or rule) of first mention is a guideline that some
people use for studying Scripture. The law of first mention says that, to
understand a particular word or doctrine, we must find the first place in
Scripture that word or doctrine is revealed and studies that passage. The
reasoning is that the Bible’s first mention of a concept is the simplest and
clearest presentation; doctrines are then more fully developed on that
foundation. So, to fully understand an important and complex theological
concept, Bible students are advised to start with its “first mention.”
FIRST
MENTION OF THE WORD STRANGE IN BIBLE
In Bible
in Basic English Translation the first mention comes up at Genesis 19:9
And they said, Give way there. This one man,
they said, came here from a strange
country, and will he now be our judge? now we will
do worse to you than to them; and pushing violently against Lot, they came near
to get the door broken in.
Strange Country
Luz is the ancient name of a royal Canaanite city, connected with Bethel (Genesis
28:19; 35:6). Luz and Bethel represent the same town - the former the Canaanite
name, and the latter the Hebrew name. According
to the King James Version (KJV), Luz was renamed by Jacob: "And he
called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz
at the first.” (Genesis 28:19)
When the pharaohs ruled Egypt and the ancient Greeks built their
first cities,
a mysterious people called the Canaanites dominated the Near East. Around 4000
years ago, they built cities across the Levant, which includes present-day
Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and part of Syria.
The Bible’s Old Testament, which suggests a grisly end for many Canaanites: After the
Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, God ordered them to destroy Canaan and its
people (though other passages suggest that some Canaanites may have survived).
What
was, “Strange” about the Canaanites?
The Canaanites were polytheistic people
worshipping many pagan gods and goddesses. Symbols/idols/images were made to
represent each god/goddess. Temple prostitution was part of the worship of gods
and goddesses. Human and animal sacrifices were made to the gods/goddesses.
In King
James Version Translation the first mention comes up at Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to
all that were with him, Put away the strange
mighty ones that are
among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Strange mighty ones (Genesis 35:2)
New
International Version
So Jacob said to his household and to all who
were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods
you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
New
Living Translation
So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get
rid of all your pagan idols, purify
yourselves, and put on clean clothing.
King
James Bible
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
HOW
MANY TIMES THE WORD, “STRANGE” OCCURS IN THE BIBLE?
The word, “Strange” in the whole Bible
appears approximately 251 times. 211 times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old
Testament) and 40 times in the Greek Scriptures (New Testament).
Secular
definition of word Strange: Oxford
Dictionary has 2 meanings: 1. unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or
explain. 2. Not previously visited, seen, or encountered; unfamiliar or alien.
Webster’s
1828 Dictionary defines Strange as “Foreign
belonging to another country”.
Strong’s
Hebrew Word Dictionary meaning:
זָרָ֔ה |
profane |
Strong's
Definitions
guwr, goor; a primitive root; properly, to
turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as
a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for
hostility (as afraid): — abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather
(together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, X surely.
Outline of Biblical Usage
1. To be strange, be a stranger
a. (Qal)
1. To become estranged
2. Strange, another, stranger, foreigner, an
enemy (participle)
3. Loathsome (of breath) (participle)
4. Strange woman, prostitute, harlot (meton)
b. (Niphal) to be estranged
c. (Hophal) to be a stranger, be one
alienated
What
was the STRANGE FIRE & INCENSE that Aaron’s two sons offered at the temple
to Yahweh? Leviticus 10:1 & 2
The deaths of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu
were a result of offering incense and strange fire which Yahweh had not
commanded. But what was the nature of the incense and strange fire?
The
first piece of evidence is the nature of altars in the ancient world.
Unlike Yahweh’s altars, ancient Near Eastern texts hold evidence that single
altars could be used for multiple gods. In The Zurku Festival, repeated ritual
upon one altar is used for many gods such as Ea, the Moon and Sun, and Nergal.
Within it, one altar and sacrifice are utilized as “sacrificial homage for all
the gods with a ewe” (William W. Hallo 1997, 433).
There
was always a fire burning continuously with the Temple precincts at the Bronze
Altar. But
it appears from a close inspection of the context of scripture in Leviticus
Chapter 10 that Aaron’s both sons may have brought an external strange or
foreign fire from another Altar from outside the camp.
Yahweh
in no manner ordered the incense and strange fire because it was completely
foreign and apart from Elohim. Aaron’s two son’s Nadab and Abihu opposed the strict
ritual process by doing what Yahweh did not command. It was not of Elohim
Yahweh.
In
the Torah, זָר
is used in contexts to describe laypersons (Exodus 29:33, Leviticus 22:10,
etc.), strange fire as related to Aaron’s sons (Numbers 3:4, Lev 10:1), and
command not to offer strange incense (Exodus 30:9). Deuteronomy 32:16 once uses
“strange” to describe other gods. Throughout
the remainder of the Hebrew Bible, “stranger” references an adulteress
(Proverbs 22:14) and foreigners.
If “strange” is understood directly in the context of the Torah, it can be understood as a “layperson” fire. Within a Leviticus temple context, the laypersons fire would have perhaps been unsuitable and unholy for offering, as it was not set apart (holy). While the temple centered on holiness, laypersons were less holy than the priests. With this in mind, the “strange fire” was an unholy offering. This is supportable outside of the Torah because the remainder of the Hebrew Bible uses “strange” in some sense of lack of holiness, whether it is an adulteress or foreigner.