G38 — ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G38
Original: ἁγιασμός
Transliteration: hagiasmos
Pronunciation: hag-ee-as-mos
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: ἁγιάζω (hagiazo, G37) — to make holy, consecrate
Occurrences: 10 in NT
First Occurrence: Rom 6:19 — "yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From G37 (hagiazo); properly, purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concretely (a purifier). The -μος suffix marks the process or result of the verbal action — the ongoing work or achieved state of being made holy.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 53.006 — Dedicate, Consecrate
Broader domain: 53 — Religious Activities
Gloss: consecration, dedication
Other words in subdomain: ἁγιάζω (hagiazo, G37), ἅγιος (hagios, G40), ἁγιωσύνη (hagiosyne, G42), ὅσιος (hosios, G3741), ὁσιότης (hosiotes, G3742), τελειόω (teleioo, G5048), περιτέμνω (peritemno, G4059)

Domain Neighbors (053.006 — Dedicate, Consecrate)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Occurrences	Primary KJV Translation(s)
G37	ἁγιάζω	29	sanctify, hallow, be holy
G40	ἅγιος	229	holy, saints, Holy One
G42	ἁγιωσύνη	3	holiness
G3741	ὅσιος	8	holy, Holy One, mercies
G3742	ὁσιότης	2	holiness
G5048	τελειόω	23	make perfect, finish
G4059	περιτέμνω	17	circumcise
G4061	περιτομή	36	circumcision

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
holiness	5	50%
sanctification	5	50%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Thessalonians	3	3.4
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
1 Peter	1	1.0
1 Timothy	1	0.9
Romans	2	0.5
Hebrews	1	0.3
1 Corinthians	1	0.2

Exclusively Pauline and Petrine; 1 Thessalonians has the highest concentration. Absent from the Gospels, Acts, and the Johannine corpus. 6 of 10 uses are in Paul's letters to churches he founded (Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica).

Morphological Distribution¶

Case	Count	Typical Construction
Accusative (εἰς ἁγιασμόν)	3	Goal or purpose — "unto holiness"
Dative (ἐν ἁγιασμῷ)	5	Sphere or means — "in/through sanctification"
Nominative (ἁγιασμός)	2	Subject — "your sanctification" or apposition

Semantic Categories¶

1. Progressive Moral Transformation (the goal of Christian living)¶

Rom 6:19 — "yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness (eis hagiasmon)"
Rom 6:22 — "being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness (eis hagiasmon), and the end everlasting life"
1 Th 4:3 — "this is the will of God, even your sanctification (ho hagiasmos hymon), that ye should abstain from fornication"
1 Th 4:4 — "every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification (en hagiasmo) and honour"

2. The State Contrasted with Impurity¶

1 Th 4:7 — "God hath not called us unto uncleanness (akatharsia), but unto holiness (en hagiasmo)"
Rom 6:19 — contrast between yielding members to "uncleanness and iniquity" vs. "righteousness unto holiness"

3. Sanctification as Divine Work through the Spirit¶

2 Th 2:13 — "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit (en hagiasmo pneumatos) and belief of the truth"
1 Pe 1:2 — "elect... through sanctification of the Spirit (en hagiasmo pneumatos), unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ"

4. Sanctification as a Gift in Christ¶

1 Co 1:30 — "of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification (hagiasmos), and redemption"

5. Holiness as a Condition for Seeing God¶

Heb 12:14 — "Follow peace with all men, and holiness (ton hagiasmon), without which no man shall see the Lord"

6. Holiness Coupled with Other Christian Virtues¶

1 Ti 2:15 — "she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness (hagiasmo) with sobriety"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
θεός (theos)	G2316	6x (60%)	"will of God" / "servants to God" / "God hath chosen you" — God as source and author of hagiasmos
ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsia)	G167	2x (20%)	Antithetical contrast: "not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness"
δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosyne)	G1343	2x (20%)	Sequential pairing: "righteousness unto holiness" / "righteousness and sanctification"
πίστις (pistis)	G4102	2x (20%)	Virtue list: "faith and charity and holiness" / "belief of the truth"
πνεῦμα (pneuma)	G4151	2x (20%)	Genitive phrase: "sanctification of the Spirit"
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	2x (20%)	Christ as the sphere: "in Christ Jesus, who... is made unto us... sanctification"

Word Family / Cognates¶

G37 ἁγιάζω (hagiazo) — verb: to make holy, sanctify, consecrate (29v) — the action
G40 ἅγιος (hagios) — adjective: holy, sacred, saint (229v) — the attribute
G41 ἁγιότης (hagiotes) — noun: sanctity, holiness (1v, Heb 12:10) — the state (quality-suffix -otes)
G42 ἁγιωσύνη (hagiosyne) — noun: sacredness, holiness (3v) — the quality (quality-suffix -osyne)

All derive from the root ἅγος (hagos, "an awful/sacred thing"). G38 hagiasmos (-mos suffix) emphasizes the process or result of the action, while G41 (-otes) and G42 (-osyne) emphasize the abstract quality itself.

Synonyms¶

G42 ἁγιωσύνη (hagiosyne) — emphasizes inherent sacred quality rather than process
G41 ἁγιότης (hagiotes) — emphasizes the state of holiness abstractly
G3742 ὁσιότης (hosiotes) — piety, devoutness; emphasizes relational piety rather than consecration
G2150 εὐσέβεια (eusebeia) — godliness, piety; broader religious devotion

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἁγιωσύνη (hagiosyne)	G42	"holiness"	G42 = the inherent quality/character of holiness; G38 = the process or resulting state of being made holy
ἁγιότης (hagiotes)	G41	"holiness"	G41 = abstract sanctity (Heb 12:10, God's own holiness shared); G38 = the lived-out sanctification
ὁσιότης (hosiotes)	G3742	"holiness"	G3742 = devout piety in relational context (Lk 1:75, Eph 4:24); G38 = consecration and purification
εὐσέβεια (eusebeia)	G2150	"holiness" (1x KJV)	G2150 = godliness as general religious devotion; G38 = specifically being set apart for God
קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh)	H6944	"holiness"	H6944 = OT quality of being set apart (holy place/thing); G38 = NT process/state of being purified

Semantic Domain (from search_relationships.py)¶

[053] Religious Activities — neighbors: ἁγιάζω (G37), ἅγιος (G40), ἁγιωσύνη (G42), ἁγνίζω (G48), ἁγνισμός (G49), ἀκάθαρτος (G169)

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occurrence	PMI
יְהֹוָה (Yehovah)	H3068	3	2.06

The LXX data shows only a weak link to H3068 (YHWH) — this is incidental co-occurrence rather than a translation equivalent. G38 hagiasmos does not function as a direct LXX rendering of any single Hebrew term. The OT conceptual equivalent is the ק-ד-שׁ root family (H6944 qodesh, H6942 qadash), which maps primarily to G37 hagiazo and G40 hagios in the LXX. The -mos noun form hagiasmos appears to be a distinctly NT coinage or at least rare in the LXX.