Leviticus 21:9
in Leviticus 21If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
KJV
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
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This verse in Leviticus 21
Commentary
8 notes on this verseShe shall be burnt with fire - Probably not burnt alive, but strangled first, and then burnt afterward. Though it is barely possible that some kind of branding may be intended.
This site's exposition
They shall not make baldness upon their head
on Leviticus 21:5-9
The mourning customs forbidden here, a shaved head, a cut beard and cuttings in the flesh, were already forbidden to all Israel at 19:27-28, so the priest carries a rule his neighbours carry too. Verses 7 to 9 then reach into his house and govern whom he marries and what his daughter does. The penalty at verse 9 falls on a woman who never serves at the altar, and the ground the verse gives is that she profaneth her father. The word profane falls nine times in these twenty-four verses and holds the chapter together.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But why speak of the men engaged in the ministry? Even the daughters of priests, who are of no significance for the priestly office, incur a far more severe penalty than do others for the same sins, because of their fathers' dignity. The offense is the same (it is prostitution in both cases) when committed by them and the daughters of ordinary people, but their punishment is far greater. You see how thoroughly God proves to you that he demands much more punishment of the ruler than of the subjects.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the L ORD do sanctify him. More was expected from a priest than from other people, but more from the high priest than from other priests, because upon his head the anointing oil was poured, and he was consecrated to put on the garments (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And the daughter - And by analogy his son also, and his wife, because the reason of the law here added, concerns all. And nothing is more common than to name one kind for the rest of the same nature, as also is done chap. xviii, 6.
And the daughter of any priest,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane--Private individuals might form several connections, which were forbidden as inexpedient or improper in priests.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
burnt with fire - See the Lev 20:14 note.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
HE SHALL NOT LET THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD GO LOOSE etc. NEITHER SHALL HE GO IN TO ANY DEAD BODY.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבַת֙ | uvat | and a daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כֹּהֵ֔ן | kohen | a priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תֵחֵ֖ל | techel | she will profane herself | H2490 → | 143 times |
| לִזְנ֑וֹת | liznot | by acting as a prostitute | H2181 → | 94 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֙יהָ֙ | ʾaviha | father her | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הִ֣יא | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מְחַלֶּ֔לֶת | mechalelet | [is] profaning | H2490 → | 143 times |
| בָּאֵ֖שׁ | baesh | with <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| תִּשָּׂרֵֽף׃ ס | tisaref | she will be burned | H8313 → | 117 times |
וּבַת֙and a daughter of
uvatH1323 →588 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
כֹּהֵ֔ןa priest
kohenH3548 →750 times
כִּ֥יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
תֵחֵ֖לshe will profane herself
techelH2490 →143 times
לִזְנ֑וֹתby acting as a prostitute
liznotH2181 →94 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֙יהָ֙father her
ʾavihaH1 →1212 times
הִ֣יאshe
hi'H1931 →1879 times
מְחַלֶּ֔לֶת[is] profaning
mechaleletH2490 →143 times
בָּאֵ֖שׁwith <the> fire
baeshH784 →378 times
תִּשָּׂרֵֽף׃ סshe will be burned
tisarefH8313 →117 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 9:6Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders…
it leads to
- Revelation 9:4
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
- Exodus 12:23
When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow…
- Jeremiah 25:29
For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword…
- 2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
- Revelation 7:3
“Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
- Revelation 9:4
Through
Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- Isaiah 66:24
“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a…
- Hebrews 12:29
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood 6.16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.