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קָדוֹשׁ

𐤒𐤃𐤅𐤔

qâdôwsh

H6918 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily denotes 'holy, set apart, consecrated,' describing that which is marked by separation from the ordinary or profane and dedicated to a special, often divine, purpose. In different contexts, it is applied to persons, places, times, or things distinguished for ritual, moral, or cultic purity. The term can function adjectivally ('holy,' describing God, beings, or objects) and substantivally ('the Holy [One],' 'holy ones'), sometimes designating heavenly beings or devoted communities.

Semantic Range

holy, set apart, sacred, consecrated, pertaining to that which is separated from the profane for divine use; of God: distinctly divine, unique in holiness; of beings: angelic or heavenly; of things/places: specially devoted, sacred; as a title: the Holy One, sacred person, holy ones

Root / Etymology

From the root ק-ד-ש (קָדַשׁ), whose core meaning is 'to be set apart, to consecrate, to dedicate.' The adjective קָדוֹשׁ derives from this root, signifying the quality of being 'holy' or 'sacred.' The root expresses separation from the common for the sake of a unique, often sacred, status or use.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term קָדוֹשׁ appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, often to describe the deity of Israel (‘the Holy [One] of Israel’) as well as individuals, days (e.g., Sabbaths), places, or items dedicated to cultic service. It never merely means 'good' or 'righteous' in a moral sense but focuses on separation or consecration—what belongs to, or is appropriate for, the divine sphere. Notably, in prophetic literature, קָדוֹשׁ functions as a title for YHWH ('the Holy One of Israel,' especially in Isaiah), emphasizing God's distinctiveness and sovereignty. When plural ('holy ones'), the term can refer to heavenly beings (cf. Psalm 89:6–8) or, occasionally, to the community of Israelites consecrated to the divine service; however, translation as 'saints' is a later interpretive tradition and should not be applied anachronistically to pre-exilic or early post-exilic contexts. The lexical scope remains distinction from the profane rather than perfection or moral errorlessness. In contrast to the related noun קֹדֶשׁ (qōdesh, 'holiness' or 'sacred thing'), קָדוֹשׁ describes the quality or title rather than the abstract state or a location. Standard translations may narrow the range by equating holiness only with moral purity or assume later theological readings based on English tradition.

Translation Consistency

primary "holy" 43 occurrences

'Holy' is the most natural, widely understood English rendering that covers the typical adjectival and substantive uses of קָדוֹשׁ (God, persons, places, times, or things set apart or consecrated). It is concise, idiomatic, and preserves both the general sense of being 'set apart' and the theological nuance (e.g. 'the Holy One'), making it the best consistent choice for all forms.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"set-apart one" (4x) "set-apart" (2x) "set-apart ones" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or קָדֹשׁ; from קָדַשׁ; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary; holy (One), saint.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

קדש (Qedesh) — to be set apart, to consecrate, to dedicate

Root קדש to be set apart, to consecrate, to dedicate
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6922 קַדִּישׁ to holy ones of
H6942 קָדַשׁ I will consecrate
H6943 קֶדֶשׁ from Qedesh
H6944 קֹדֶשׁ in the sacred things
H6948 קְדֵשָׁה the consecrated woman

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6918-10 קָד֥וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one 46
H6918-11 קְד֥וֹשׁ qedosh HAamsc Holy One set-apart one holy one 27
H6918-15 קְדֹשִֽׁים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones 17
H6918-03 הַ/קָּד֖וֹשׁ haqadosh HTd/Aamsa the holy one the Set-Apart One the Set-Apart One 4
H6918-19 וְ/לִ/קְד֥וֹשׁ veliqedosh HC/R/Aamsc and to the Holy One and to a set-apart one and to a holy one 3
H6918-20 וְ/קָד֥וֹשׁ veqadosh HC/Aamsa and holy and set-apart and holy 3
H6918-01 בִּ/קְד֥וֹשׁ biqedosh HR/Aamsc in Holy in a set-apart one in a holy one 2
H6918-09 קָדְשֵׁ֣י qadeshey HNcmpc holy things set-apart ones of holy things of 2
H6918-12 קְדֹשָׁ֖י/ו qedoshayv HAampc/Sp3ms His holy ones his set-apart ones his set-apart ones 2
H6918-17 וּ/קְד֥וֹשׁ uqedosh HC/Aamsc and Holy One and set-apart one and holy one 2

Occurrences in Scripture

119 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6918-10 Exodus 19:6 קָד֑וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one set-apart
H6918-10 Exodus 29:31 קָדֹֽשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 6:9 קָדֹ֔שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 6:19 קָדֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 6:20 קָדֹֽשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 7:6 קָדוֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 10:13 קָדֹ֔שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-15 Leviticus 11:44 קְדֹשִׁ֔ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 Leviticus 11:44 קָד֖וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-15 Leviticus 11:45 קְדֹשִׁ֔ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 Leviticus 11:45 קָד֖וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Leviticus 16:24 קָד֔וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-15 Leviticus 19:2 קְדֹשִׁ֣ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 Leviticus 19:2 קָד֔וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-15 Leviticus 20:7 קְדֹשִׁ֑ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-15 Leviticus 20:26 קְדֹשִׁ֔ים qedoshim HAampa holy-ones set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 Leviticus 20:26 קָד֖וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-15 Leviticus 21:6 קְדֹשִׁ֤ים qedoshim HAampa holy ones set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 Leviticus 21:7 קָדֹ֥שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Leviticus 21:8 קָדֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Leviticus 21:8 קָד֔וֹשׁ qadosh-2 HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Leviticus 24:9 קָדֹ֑שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-15 Numbers 5:17 קְדֹשִׁ֖ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy
H6918-10 Numbers 6:5 קָדֹ֣שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Numbers 6:8 קָדֹ֥שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-15 Numbers 15:40 קְדֹשִׁ֖ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-15 Numbers 16:3 קְדֹשִׁ֔ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-03 Numbers 16:5 הַ/קָּד֖וֹשׁ haqadosh HTd/Aamsa the holy one the Set-Apart One the Set-Apart One
H6918-03 Numbers 16:7 הַ/קָּד֑וֹשׁ haqadosh HTd/Aamsa the holy one the Set-Apart One the Set-Apart One
H6918-09 Numbers 18:8 קָדְשֵׁ֣י qadeshey HNcmpc holy things set-apart ones of holy things of
H6918-09 Numbers 18:32 קָדְשֵׁ֧י qadeshey HNcmpc holy things of set-apart ones of holy things of
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 7:6 קָדוֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one set-apart
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 14:2 קָדוֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 14:21 קָדוֹשׁ֙ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 23:15 קָד֑וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 26:19 קָדֹ֛שׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Deuteronomy 28:9 קָד֔וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-12 Deuteronomy 33:3 קְדֹשָׁ֖י/ו qedoshayv HAampc/Sp3ms His holy ones his set-apart ones his set-apart ones
H6918-15 Joshua 24:19 קְדֹשִׁ֖ים qedoshim HAampa holy set-apart ones holy ones
H6918-10 1 Samuel 2:2 קָד֥וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-03 1 Samuel 6:20 הַ/קָּד֖וֹשׁ haqadosh HTd/Aamsa the holy the Set-Apart One the Set-Apart One
H6918-10 2 Kings 4:9 קָד֣וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy
H6918-11 2 Kings 19:22 קְד֥וֹשׁ qedosh HAamsc the Holy One set-apart one the Holy One
H6918-11 Isaiah 1:4 קְד֥וֹשׁ qedosh HAamsc Holy One set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Isaiah 4:3 קָד֖וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-03 Isaiah 5:16 הַ/קָּד֔וֹשׁ haqadosh HTd/Aamsa the-Holy the Set-Apart One the Set-Apart One
H6918-11 Isaiah 5:19 קְד֥וֹשׁ qedosh HAamsc of the Holy One set-apart one holy one
H6918-11 Isaiah 5:24 קְדֽוֹשׁ qedosh HAamsc Holy One set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Isaiah 6:3 קָד֧וֹשׁ qadosh HAamsa Holy set-apart one holy one
H6918-10 Isaiah 6:3 קָד֛וֹשׁ qadosh-2 HAamsa holy set-apart one holy one
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