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קָדֵשׁ

𐤒𐤃𐤔

Qadesh

H6946 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קדשׁ to be holy, set apart, consecrate, dedicate

Definition

Kadesh: a proper place name primarily designating a significant oasis in the southern Levantine wilderness, most often 'Kadesh' or 'Kadesh-barnea,' associated in the Hebrew Bible with events during the Israelite wilderness wanderings; in some contexts, the term may simply denote 'holy place' or 'sanctuary,' but as a proper noun it refers to one or more specific locations.

Semantic Range

proper noun—Kadesh (site of an oasis, major wilderness locale, especially Kadesh-barnea); sanctuary, sacred place (rare, usually only as background or in derivation from the root); boundary region or liminal terrain with implied sanctity

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root קדשׁ (q-d-sh), meaning 'to be holy, set apart, sacred.' The word קָדֵשׁ (Qadesh) is a substantive formation from this root, functioning as a proper noun for a place or site set apart, presumably for its distinctive or hallowed status. The derivation aligns with the general Semitic usage where toponyms reflect qualities or functions connected to cultic sanctity or separateness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קָדֵשׁ most prominently refers to an oasis on the southern edge of Canaan (often called 'Kadesh-barnea') associated with stories about the Israelite sojourn in the wilderness (Numbers 13:26; 20:1, 14-16; Deuteronomy 1:46). Sometimes it appears simply as 'Kadesh,' and the precise location remains debated among scholars, but it is generally identified with the region around modern 'Ain Qedeis' or 'Ain el-Qudeirat.' The term's root connection with sanctity or separateness likely reflects either the site's cultic significance or its character as a boundary or liminal space. In some rare contexts, the term is applied to shrines or sacred precincts (see, e.g., Genesis 14:7), but overwhelmingly as a proper noun rather than a common noun. English translations consistently use 'Kadesh' as a place name; the underlying nuance of sanctity is largely lost in translation, and the meaning would not be evident to readers unfamiliar with the Hebrew root. Kadesh should be distinguished from derived terms such as 'kadosh' (holy) or 'mikdash' (sanctuary) which more directly refer to holiness and sanctuaries as concepts or institutions. In later periods, the memory of Kadesh as a pilgrimage site or border marker persisted, but its specific sacred functions remain largely unrecorded.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as קָדֵשׁ; sanctuary; Kadesh, a place in the Desert; Kadesh. Compare קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדשׁ (q-d-sh) — holiness, sacredness, being set apart, consecration

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4720 מִקְדָּשׁ in a consecrated place
H6945 קָדֵשׁ male cult devotees
H6947 קָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ Qadesh-Barnea

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6946-03 קָדֵ֔שׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place 9
H6946-02 מִ/קָּדֵ֖שׁ miqadesh HR/Np from Kadesh from Qadesh 3
H6946-04 קָדֵ֑שָׁ/ה qadeshah HNp/Sd Kadesh Kadesh 2
H6946-05 בְ/קָדֵ֔שׁ veqadesh HR/Np in Kadesh in Kadesh 2
H6946-01 בְּ/קָדֵ֑שׁ beqadesh HR/Np in-Kadesh in Kadesh 2

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6946-03 Genesis 14:7 קָדֵ֔שׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place
H6946-03 Genesis 16:14 קָדֵ֖שׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place
H6946-03 Genesis 20:1 קָדֵ֖שׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place
H6946-04 Numbers 13:26 קָדֵ֑שָׁ/ה qadeshah HNp/Sd Kadesh Kadesh
H6946-01 Numbers 20:1 בְּ/קָדֵ֑שׁ beqadesh HR/Np in Kadesh in Kadesh
H6946-02 Numbers 20:14 מִ/קָּדֵ֖שׁ miqadesh HR/Np from Kadesh from Qadesh
H6946-05 Numbers 20:16 בְ/קָדֵ֔שׁ veqadesh HR/Np in Kadesh in Kadesh
H6946-02 Numbers 20:22 מִ/קָּדֵ֑שׁ miqadesh HR/Np from Kadesh from Qadesh
H6946-03 Numbers 27:14 קָדֵ֖שׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place
H6946-03 Numbers 33:36 קָדֵֽשׁ qadesh HNp Kadesh Set-Apart Place
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