Original Word: אֲבִיהוּא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Abiyhuw'
Pronunciation: ah-vee-HOO
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee-hoo')
KJV: Abihu
NASB: Abihu
Word Origin: [from H1 (אָב - father) and H193 (אוּל - Mighty)1]

1. father (i.e. worshipper) of Him (i.e. God)
2. Abihu, a son of Aaron

Abihu

From 'ab and huw'; father (i.e. Worshipper) of Him (i.e. God); Abihu, a son of Aaron -- Abihu.

see HEBREW 'ab

see HEBREW huw'

Word Origin
from ab and hu
Definition
"he is father," a son of Aaron
NASB Translation
Abihu (12).

אֲבִיהוּא proper name, masculine (he is father) a son of Aaron Exodus 6:23; Exodus 24:1,9; Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 10:1 7t.

Name and Meaning

Abihu (“He is my father” or “My father is He”) appears twelve times in the Old Testament and is always identified as the second-born son of Aaron and Elisheba (Exodus 6:23).

Genealogical Placement

• Father: Aaron, the first high priest of Israel
• Mother: Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon
• Brothers: Nadab (elder), Eleazar, Ithamar

Abihu and Nadab are grouped together in all genealogical lists (Numbers 3:2; 1 Chronicles 6:3; 1 Chronicles 24:1).

Priestly Calling and Early Service

Abihu was designated for priestly ministry from the outset. Exodus 28:1 records the divine call: “Bring near to you your brother Aaron and his sons with him—Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar—so that they may minister as priests to Me.” Prior to their formal consecration, Abihu and his brother were privileged to ascend Sinai with Moses, Aaron, and the elders: “Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:9-10). This extraordinary experience underscored their responsibility to minister in holiness.

The Sin of “Strange Fire”

Leviticus 10:1-2 recounts the defining event of Abihu’s life:

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his own censer, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them to offer. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.”

The phrase “unauthorized fire” (ʾēš zārâ) indicates self-willed worship that disregarded the specific divine ordinance that altar fire be taken from the altar of burnt offering (compare Leviticus 6:12-13). Their act occurred immediately after the inaugural tabernacle service (Leviticus 9), highlighting the gravity of departing from God’s revealed pattern at the very outset of Israel’s corporate worship.

Immediate Consequences

1. Death by divine fire demonstrated God’s holiness.
2. Aaron was commanded not to mourn outwardly, lest the nation misunderstand God’s justice (Leviticus 10:6-7).
3. Surviving priests were instructed to abstain from wine or strong drink before entering the tent of meeting (Leviticus 10:8-11), suggesting that intoxication may have contributed to Abihu’s lapse.
4. Abihu died childless (Numbers 3:4; Numbers 26:61); therefore his priestly line ended, and Eleazar and Ithamar alone continued the Aaronic succession.

Long-Term Theological Significance

• Holiness of Worship: Abihu’s fate established a permanent standard that acceptable worship must align with explicit divine revelation.
• Mediatorial Safeguard: The restriction of approach to God through ordained means foreshadowed the necessity of the perfect Mediator (Hebrews 7:26-27).
• Pattern for Future Generations: The narrative is cited whenever priestly genealogies are listed, reminding later priests that ministry is a sacred trust, not a platform for personal innovation.

Liturgical and Legal Aftermath

Numbers 3 and 4 reorganize Levitical duties, assigning Kohathites the care of holy objects; Leviticus 16 underscores the need for Aaron to enter the Most Holy Place “at the proper time” and “with blood,” all in view of the precedent set by Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized entry. The chronicler (1 Chronicles 24:1-2) again notes their death “before the LORD” as the rationale for the subsequent twenty-four priestly divisions.

Typological Reflection

The consuming fire that judged Abihu anticipates the cross where judgment fell upon the sinless Substitute. The difference is profound: Christ offered Himself “once for all” according to the Father’s command, satisfying divine holiness rather than violating it (Hebrews 10:10-14).

Practical Lessons for Believers

• Sound worship must be regulated by Scripture, not personal preference.
• Privilege does not exempt one from obedience; Abihu stood near the summit of Sinai, yet still fell.
• Spiritual service demands sobriety and discernment (Ephesians 5:18).
• The fear of the LORD is foundational for those who draw near in ministry (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Abihu, though mentioned only a dozen times, serves as a lasting witness to the seriousness with which God regards His worship and the necessity of coming to Him on His terms alone.

אֲבִיה֑וּא אֲבִיה֔וּא אביהוא וַאֲבִיה֑וּא וַאֲבִיה֔וּא וַאֲבִיה֕וּא וַאֲבִיה֛וּא וַאֲבִיה֜וּא וַאֲבִיה֣וּא וַאֲבִיהוּא֙ ואביהוא ’ă·ḇî·hū ’ăḇîhū aviHu vaaviHu wa’ăḇîhū wa·’ă·ḇî·hūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts