Nadab, the eldest son of Aaron, was consumed by fire from the Lord for offering unauthorized incense.
son of Aaron (EXO 6:23), died for offering strange fire to the LORD (NUM 3:4)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Jacob › Levi › Kohath › Amram › Aaron › Nadab
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en
Nadab
free and voluntary gift; prince
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en
Nadab
· Also called · H5070 · EXO 6:23 volunteer, free will offering
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he
נָדַב
nadav · H5070 · EXO 6:23 volunteer, free will offering
- he נָדָב · H5070G
- el Ναδαβ Nadab · EXO 6:23
- bg Надав
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Conditional birth estimate
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
The anchors give incompatible conditional intervals. This calculation establishes no birth year.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron · 1573 BC Ancestor |
1 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1553 BC – 1528 BC |
| Amram · 1688 BC Ancestor |
2 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1648 BC – 1598 BC |
| Kohath · 1705 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1645 BC – 1570 BC |
| Levi · 1748 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1688 BC – 1613 BC |
| Jacob · 1835 BC Ancestor |
4 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1755 BC – 1655 BC |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
5 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1795 BC – 1670 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
5 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1776 BC – 1651 BC |
| Pharez · 1722 BC Ancestor |
5 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1622 BC – 1497 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
6 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1875 BC – 1725 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
6 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1865 BC – 1715 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
7 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1950 BC – 1215 BC |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1956 BC – 1116 BC |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1856 BC – 1016 BC |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1961 BC – 1016 BC |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
10 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1968 BC – 918 BC |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
11 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1973 BC – 818 BC |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
12 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1982 BC – 722 BC |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
13 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1987 BC – 622 BC |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
15 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1972 BC – 397 BC |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
16 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2047 BC – 367 BC |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
17 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2523 BC – 738 BC |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
18 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2680 BC – 790 BC |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2842 BC – 847 BC |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2882 BC – 782 BC |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3019 BC – 814 BC |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3059 BC – 749 BC |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3104 BC – 689 BC |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3429 BC – 1014 BC |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3169 BC – 649 BC |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3404 BC – 884 BC |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
24 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3405 BC – 885 BC |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
25 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3249 BC – 624 BC |
Nadab was the eldest son of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, and his wife Elisheba (Exo 6:23). Along with his brothers Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Nadab was consecrated as a priest to serve in the Tabernacle (Exo 28:1).
Nadab, along with his brother Abihu and seventy elders of Israel, accompanied Moses partway up Mount Sinai when the Lord made His covenant with the people (Exo.24.1,9). There, they saw a manifestation of God's presence and ate and drank in His presence.
However, Nadab and Abihu later committed a grave offense by offering unauthorized fire (incense) before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do (Lev 10:1). As a result, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord (Lev 10:2; Num.3.4; 26.61).
This tragic event served as a sobering reminder to the Israelites of the importance of following God's commands precisely, especially in matters related to worship and the priesthood. After their death, Eleazar and Ithamar took over their priestly duties under the direction of their father, Aaron (Num 3:4; 1Ch 24:2).
The story of Nadab and Abihu underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness with which He regards the proper worship and service of His people. It also highlights the importance of obedience and the consequences of disregarding God's clear instructions.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Nadab_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Nadab@Exo.6.23-1Ch) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, nadab_2128)