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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Leviticus 21:9

"If a priest's daughter defiles herself in prostitution, she disgraces her father. She must be burned at the stake.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Fire;   Harlotry;   Minister, Christian;   Mourning;   Priest;   Punishment;   Sanctification;   Uncleanness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Burning, a Punishment;   Nation, the;   Punishments;   The Topic Concordance - Priests;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - High Priest, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Mourning;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Funeral;   Prostitution;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Funeral;   Kill, Killing;   Leadership;   Prostitution;   Sexuality, Human;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fire;   Fornication;   Funeral;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Harlot;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Crimes and Punishments;   Fire;   Fornication;   Leviticus;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Congregation, Assembly;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Harlot;   Hexateuch;   Holiness;   Law;   Leviticus;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Eternal Fire (2);   Tomb, Grave, Sepulchre;   Zacharias ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Children;   Punishments;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Burial;   Fire;   Harlot;   Leviticus;   Punishments;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Adultery;   Capital Punishment;   Cremation;   Fire;   ḥalalah;   Tamar;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The daughter of any Kohen, if she profane herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
King James Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Lexham English Bible
"‘As for the daughter of any priest, if she is defiled by prostituting, she is disgracing her father—she shall be burned in the fire.
New Century Version
"‘If a priest's daughter makes herself unclean by becoming a prostitute, she shames her father. She must be burned with fire.
New English Translation
If a daughter of a priest profanes herself by engaging in prostitution, she is profaning her father. She must be burned to death.
Amplified Bible
'The daughter of any priest who profanes herself by prostitution profanes her father; she shall be burned in fire.
New American Standard Bible
'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If a Priestes daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father: therefore shal she be burnt with fire.
Legacy Standard Bible
Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
Contemporary English Version
If any of you priests has a daughter who disgraces you by serving as a temple prostitute, she must be burned to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
The daughter of a cohen who profanes herself by prostitution profanes her father; she is to be put to death by fire.
Darby Translation
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burned with fire.
Easy-to-Read Version
"If a priest's daughter becomes a prostitute, she ruins her reputation and brings shame to her father. She must be burned to death in the fire!
English Standard Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
George Lamsa Translation
And the daughter of any priest, when she starts playing the whore, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
Good News Translation
If a priest's daughter becomes a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she shall be burned to death.
Christian Standard Bible®
If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by promiscuity, she defiles her father; she must be burned to death.
Literal Translation
And when a daughter of any priest pollutes herself by going whoring, she is polluting her father; she shall be burned with fire.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf a prestes doughter fall to whoringe, she shalbe burnt with fyre, for she hath shamed hir father.
American Standard Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Bible in Basic English
And if the daughter of a priest makes herself common and by her loose behaviour puts shame on her father, let her be burned with fire.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a priestes daughter fall to play the whore, she polluteth her father, therefore must she be burnt with fire.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
King James Version (1611)
And the daughter of any Priest, if she profane her selfe, by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: shee shall be burnt with fire.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if the daughter of a priest should be profaned to go a whoring, she profanes the name of her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
English Revised Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Berean Standard Bible
If a priest's daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If the `doutir of a preest is takun in defoulyng of virgynite, and defoulith the name of hir fadir, sche schal be brent in flawmes.
Young's Literal Translation
`And a daughter of any priest when she polluteth herself by going a-whoring -- her father she is polluting; with fire she is burnt.
Update Bible Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostituting, she profanes her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the daughter of any priest, if she shall profane herself by lewdness, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
World English Bible
The daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
New King James Version
The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.
New Living Translation
"If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father's holiness, and she must be burned to death.
New Life Bible
If the daughter of any religious leader makes herself sinful by selling the use of her body, she puts her father to shame. She will be burned with fire.
New Revised Standard
When the daughter of a priest profanes herself through prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned to death.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the daughter of any priest, when she profaneth herself by unchastity, Her father, she, doth profane, with fire, shall she be consumed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If the daughter of a priest be taken in whoredom and dishonour the name of her father, she shall be burnt with fire.
Revised Standard Version
And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.

Contextual Overview

1 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron. Tell them, A priest must not ritually contaminate himself by touching the dead, except for close relatives: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband; for these he may make himself ritually unclean, but he must not contaminate himself with the dead who are only related to him by marriage and thus profane himself. 5"Priests must not shave their heads or trim their beards or gash their bodies. They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because their job is to present the gifts of God , the food of their God, they are to be holy. 7"Because a priest is holy to his God he must not marry a woman who has been a harlot or a cult prostitute or a divorced woman. Make sure he is holy because he serves the food of your God. Treat him as holy because I, God , who make you holy, am holy. 9 "If a priest's daughter defiles herself in prostitution, she disgraces her father. She must be burned at the stake.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the daughter: 1 Samuel 2:17, 1 Samuel 2:34, 1 Samuel 3:13, 1 Samuel 3:14, Ezekiel 9:6, Malachi 2:3, Matthew 11:20-24, 1 Timothy 3:4, 1 Timothy 3:5, Titus 1:6

she shall be burnt: Leviticus 20:14, Genesis 38:24, Joshua 7:15, Joshua 7:25, Isaiah 33:14

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 21:18 - obey the voice Deuteronomy 22:21 - she hath wrought Judges 19:2 - played Ezekiel 23:45 - after the manner of adulteresses Revelation 17:16 - and burn

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai, Abram's wife, hadn't yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, " God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her." Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.
Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."
Genesis 21:1
God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac. When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded.
Genesis 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah said, God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me!
Genesis 21:14
Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs.
Genesis 21:24
Abraham said, "I swear it."
2 Chronicles 30:10
So the couriers set out, going from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far north as Zebulun. But the people poked fun at them, treated them as a joke. But not all; some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to accept the invitation and come to Jerusalem. It was better in Judah—God worked powerfully among them to make it unanimous, responding to the orders sent out by the king and his officials, orders backed up by the word of God .
Job 30:1
"But no longer. Now I'm the butt of their jokes— young ruffians! whippersnappers! Why, I considered their fathers mere inexperienced pups. But they are worse than dogs—good for nothing, stray, mangy animals, Half-starved, scavenging the back alleys, howling at the moon; Homeless guttersnipes chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans; Outcasts from the community, cursed as dangerous delinquents. Nobody would put up with them; they were driven from the neighborhood. You could hear them out there at the edge of town, yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards, A gang of beggars and no-names, thrown out on their ears.
Psalms 22:6
And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm, something to step on, to squash. Everyone pokes fun at me; they make faces at me, they shake their heads: "Let's see how God handles this one; since God likes him so much, let him help him!"
Proverbs 20:11
Young people eventually reveal by their actions if their motives are on the up and up.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the daughter of any priest,.... The Targum of Jonathan restrains it to one that is betrothed; but others, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, whether betrothed or married; and all confess, as the former says, that the Scripture does not speak of one that is single or entirely free: but there is no exception in the text; and besides, the daughter of any man that was betrothed to a man, and guilty of the crime here spoken of, was to die, Deuteronomy 22:23; and therefore such a law respecting the priest's daughter would be needless; unless it can be thought that it was made merely for the sake of the different kind of death she was to be put to, and that burning was a more terrible one than stoning:

if she profane herself by playing the whore; which brings scandal and disgrace on any person, and much more on anyone that had the honour of being related to a person in such a sacred office, and the advantage of a more strictly religious education, and had eaten of the holy things in her father's house; all which were aggravations of her crime, and made it the more scandalous and reproachful to her: some render it, "when she begins to play the whore" b; as soon as ever it is discovered in her, and she is taken in it; even for the first that she commits, she is not to be spared, but put to death:

she profaneth her father: which is another aggravation of her sin; she brings him under disgrace, disparages his office, and exposes him to censure, reproach, and ridicule, as not having taken care of her education, and taught her better, and kept her under restraints; men will upbraid him with it, saying, this is a priest's daughter that has committed this lewdness; nor will say of him, as Jarchi observes, cursed be he that begat her, and cursed be he that brought her up:

she shall be burnt with fire; not with hot melted lead poured down her mouth, but with faggots set about her; Deuteronomy 22:23- :; no punishment is here fixed for the person that lay with her, but, according to the Jewish canons c, she was to be strangled.

b כי תחל לזנות "cum coepit fornicari", Pagninus, Montanus; so Tigurine version. c Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 10. sect. 1. Maimon. Issure Biah, c. 1. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

burnt with fire - See the Leviticus 20:14 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 21:9. She 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.


 
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