Leviticus 10 · a question people ask
Why was Moses satisfied with Aaron's answer?
The sin offering was to be eaten unless its blood had been brought inside (Leviticus 6:26, 6:30), and Moses says "its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary" (10:18). Aaron answers, "today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the LORD’s sight?" (10:19). "When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight" (10:20). Christians agree that the text records only Aaron's question and that it pleased Moses. They read what Aaron meant in more than one way.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Holy food and mourning
Aaron points to "such things as these have happened to me" (10:19). Elsewhere Scripture keeps holy food apart from mourning: the Israelite bringing the tithe says, "I have not eaten of it in my mourning" (Deuteronomy 26:14), and Hosea says sacrifices eaten that way are "like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted" (Hosea 9:4). On this reading Aaron held back because he was in mourning that day.
Leviticus 10:19 · Deuteronomy 26:14 · Hosea 9:4
Not fit to bear it that day
Moses says the sin offering was given to the priests "to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD" (10:17). Aaron sets "today" beside what had happened to his house (10:19). On this reading Aaron judged that, after what had happened to his own sons that day, his house eating what was given "to bear the iniquity of the congregation" (10:17) would not have been "pleasing in the LORD’s sight" (10:19).
Leviticus 10:1-2 · Leviticus 10:17 · Leviticus 10:19
The verses
“The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Meeting.”
“No sin offering, of which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned with fire.”