WG: Holiness
Overview
The holiness concept spans both testaments. In Hebrew Scripture it involves a tightly connected word family (all from root ק-ד-שׁ) plus key collocating terms that define the sphere where holiness operates — the sanctuary, the priesthood, and the holy mountain. In the NT, the Greek ἁγ- word family continues the concept with emphasis on the believer's sanctification.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| H6944 |
קֹדֶשׁ |
qodesh |
noun |
452 |
The quality/state (holiness, sacred thing/place) |
H6944 |
| H6942 |
קָדַשׁ |
qadash |
verb |
172 |
The action (to make/be holy, consecrate) |
TODO(need H6942 study) |
| H6918 |
קָדוֹשׁ |
qadowsh |
adj |
116 |
The attribute (holy, sacred; the Holy One) |
TODO(need H6918 study) |
| H4720 |
מִקְדָּשׁ |
miqdash |
noun |
74 |
The place (sanctuary building) |
TODO(need H4720 study) |
| H3548 |
כֹּהֵן |
kohen |
noun |
750 |
The agent (priest — mediator of holiness) |
H3548-kohen.md |
| H2022 |
הַר |
har |
noun |
485 |
The location (mountain — "holy mountain") |
H2022-har.md |
| G40 |
ἅγιος |
hagios |
adj |
229 |
NT: the attribute (holy, sacred, saint) |
G40 |
| G37 |
ἁγιάζω |
hagiazo |
verb |
29 |
NT: the action (to make holy, sanctify) |
TODO(need G37 study) |
| G38 |
ἁγιασμός |
hagiasmos |
noun |
10 |
NT: the process/state (sanctification, holiness) |
G38 |
| G42 |
ἁγιωσύνη |
hagiosyne |
noun |
3 |
NT: the quality (sacredness, holiness) |
G42 |
| G41 |
ἁγιότης |
hagiotes |
noun |
1 |
NT: the state (sanctity — God's own holiness shared) |
G41-hagiotes.md |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- qodesh (H6944), qadash (H6942), qadowsh (H6918), miqdash (H4720) — all from root ק-ד-שׁ (q-d-sh)
- kohen (H3548) and har (H2022) are from different roots but form the operational context of holiness
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| qodesh (H6944) |
bayith (H1004) |
52x |
"house" of the LORD — the holy temple |
| qodesh (H6944) |
kohen (H3548) |
47x |
priestly handling of holy things |
| qodesh (H6944) |
har (H2022) |
29x |
"holy mountain" (har qodshi) |
| qodesh (H6944) |
qadash (H6942) |
22x |
"sanctify the holy" — consecration of sacred items |
| qadash (H6942) |
kohen (H3548) |
18x |
priests consecrated for service |
| qodesh (H6944) |
miqdash (H4720) |
10x |
sanctuary and its holy contents |
| qodesh (H6944) |
qadowsh (H6918) |
9x |
"the Holy One" in relation to holy things |
| qadash (H6942) |
qadowsh (H6918) |
6x |
"be holy for I am holy" |
LXX Overlaps
| Hebrew Words |
Shared Greek |
Notes |
| qodesh + qadowsh + miqdash |
all → ἅγιος (G40) |
Greek collapses noun/adj/place distinction into one word |
| qadash (verb) |
ἁγιάζω (G37) |
Verb→verb preserved |
| miqdash (place) |
ἅγιον (G39) / ναός (G3485) |
Sometimes distinguished in Greek |
Roles in the Concept
- Quality/State: qodesh (קֹדֶשׁ) — the fundamental category of "set apart for God"
- Action: qadash (קָדַשׁ) — the process of making something holy or declaring it holy
- Attribute: qadowsh (קָדוֹשׁ) — the characteristic of being holy (esp. of God: "the Holy One")
- Location: miqdash (מִקְדָּשׁ) — the dedicated physical space where holiness dwells
- Agent: kohen (כֹּהֵן) — the person authorized to operate in the sphere of holiness
- Sacred geography: har (הַר) — "holy mountain" as the place where God's presence is manifest
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Lev 10:10 — qodesh + distinction between holy/unholy — "put difference between holy and unholy"
- Eze 22:26 — qodesh + qodesh + kohen — priests profaned holy things, failed to distinguish holy from profane
- Eze 44:23 — qodesh + kohen — priests "shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane"
- Exo 29:43-44 — qodesh + qadash — "I will sanctify the tabernacle... and I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons"
- Lev 19:2 — qadash + qadowsh — "Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy"
Generated from: search_strongs.py, co-occurrence queries, strongs_translations.db
Last updated: 2026-03-31