Leviticus 21:9

The immediate context for the verse in question (“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.”) concerns God’s will for those who would serve as his representatives as priests.

While the Lord instructed all the people of Israel to be holy and to distance themselves from sin (Leviticus 11:44-45), that instruction applied especially to priests (Leviticus 21:6).

The first six verses of Leviticus 21 detail specific ways in which a priest could keep himself ceremonially clean. The next two verses address the ceremonially uncleanness of a priest by way of his relationship to his wife.

Finally, verse nine explains how the daughter of a priest could negatively impact a priest and his ministry by her sinful living. The verse lays out the penalty for such behavior. The verse illustrates how serious God considered sin—especially when it involved people who were representing him in the priesthood.

While that law is no longer in effect for New Testament followers of the Lord, the Bible still places appropriate emphasis on the behavior of called workers and their families. “He [an overseer] must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” (1 Timothy 3:4-5) “An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient” (Titus 1:6). There are high standards for those who, today, represent God in the public ministry.