# H6918 - qadosh **Strong's:** [H6918](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6918/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** kaw-doshe' **Part of speech:** adjective **OT occurrences:** ~117 **Greek equivalent (LXX):** *hagios* (G40) ## Semantic range 1. **Holy, set apart**, separated from common use, dedicated to God 2. **Sacred, consecrated**, devoted to divine purposes 3. **Pure, clean**, morally pure, without defilement (especially of God) The root concept is **separation / setting apart**. What is *qadosh* is *separated* from common / profane use, dedicated for divine purposes. ## Theological force ### YHWH as the supremely Holy The most concentrated theological use of *qadosh* is **of YHWH Himself**. Three-fold *qadosh* repetition (the *Trisagion*) appears as the supreme angelic-doxology: - **[Isaiah 6:3](/codex/isaiah-6-3/)**, *qadosh, qadosh, qadosh, YHWH Tzeva'ot*, "Holy, Holy, Holy, the LORD of hosts" - **[Revelation 4:8](/codex/revelation-4-8/)**, repeated by the four living creatures: *hagios, hagios, hagios, kyrios ho theos ho pantokratōr* The Trisagion grounds: - Divine transcendent *otherness*, God is utterly different from creation - Divine moral *perfection*, God is pure, free of all defilement / sin - The Trinitarian shape (per patristic / Reformed reading), three-fold repetition prefiguring the three Persons ### Isaiah's "Holy One of Israel" Isaiah uses *Qedosh Yisrael*, "the Holy One of Israel", 25 times, more than any other OT book combined. This is Isaiah's signature divine title, anchored in his temple-vision ([Isaiah 6](/codex/isaiah-6/)) where the *qadosh*-cry first overwhelmed him. The "Holy One of Israel" is: - [Isaiah 1:4](/codex/isaiah-1-4/); 5:19, 24; 10:17, 20, repeated invocations - [Isaiah 12:6](/codex/isaiah-12-6/), "great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel" - [Isaiah 41:14](/codex/isaiah-41-14/), [16](/codex/isaiah-41-16/), [20](/codex/isaiah-41-20/); 43:3, 14, 15; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7, pervasive - [Isaiah 54:5](/codex/isaiah-54-5/); 55:5; 60:9, 14, climactic eschatological uses ### Holiness and call to holiness The Levitical refrain: "**Be holy, for I am holy**" ([Leviticus 11:44-45](/codex/leviticus-11-44-45/); 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8), God's holiness *grounds* the human call to holiness. The pattern: God sanctifies His people; they live as set-apart from the world's ways. NT continues this: [1 Peter 1:15-16](/codex/1-peter-1-15-16/), "be holy in all your behavior, because it is written, 'You shall be *qadoshim*, for I am *qadosh*.'" ### The Holy of Holies The OT tabernacle / temple's innermost sanctuary was the *Qadosh Qadoshim*, "Holy of Holies" / "Most Holy Place" ([Exodus 26:33-34](/codex/exodus-26-33-34/)). The holiness-spectrum: - The world (common) - The temple courts (set apart) - The Holy Place (more set apart) - The Holy of Holies (most set apart), the immediate presence of God; entered once a year by the high priest with atoning blood The tearing of the temple veil at Christ's death ([Mt 27:51](/codex/matthew-27-51/)) opens this *Qadosh Qadoshim*, Christ's atoning blood gives access to the once-restricted divine presence. ### Christ as the Holy One NT uses *hagios* (LXX equivalent of *qadosh*) of Christ: - **[Mark 1:24](/codex/mark-1-24/); [Luke 4:34](/codex/luke-4-34/)**, demon: "I know who You are, *the Holy One of God*!" - **[Acts 3:14](/codex/acts-3-14/)**, Peter: "the *Holy* and Righteous One" - **[Acts 4:27](/codex/acts-4-27/), [30](/codex/acts-4-30/)**, "Your *holy* servant Jesus" - **[Revelation 3:7](/codex/revelation-3-7/)**, Christ: "the *Holy One*, the True One" - **[1 John 2:20](/codex/1-john-2-20/)**, "you have an anointing from the *Holy One*" The Christological transfer: the OT *Qadosh* of Israel = the NT *Holy One* who is Christ. ## Apologetic / theological significance *Qadosh* anchors: 1. **The transcendent otherness of God**, against any pantheistic conflation of God and creation 2. **God's moral perfection**, the ground of moral truth and judgment 3. **The need for atonement**, sinners cannot enter the presence of *Qadosh* without cleansing 4. **The seriousness of sin**, sin is offensiveness against the Holy One, not minor failure 5. **The Trinitarian Trisagion**, Trinitarian-shape revelation 6. **Christ as Holy**, divine identity Christology ## Notable verses - **[Exodus 3:5](/codex/exodus-3-5/)**, "remove your sandals; this is *qodesh* ground" - **[Exodus 19:6](/codex/exodus-19-6/)**, Israel as a "*goy qadosh*", holy nation - **[Exodus 26:33-34](/codex/exodus-26-33-34/)**, the *Qadosh Qadoshim* - **[Leviticus 11:44-45](/codex/leviticus-11-44-45/); 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8**, be holy as I am holy - **[Joshua 24:19](/codex/joshua-24-19/)**, "He is a *qadosh* God" - **[1 Samuel 2:2](/codex/1-samuel-2-2/)**, "no one is *qadosh* like the LORD" - **[Psalm 22:3](/codex/psalms-22-3/); 99:3, 5, 9**, *qadosh* God - **[Isaiah 6:3](/codex/isaiah-6-3/)**, Trisagion - **[Isaiah 1:4](/codex/isaiah-1-4/); etc.**, the Holy One of Israel - **[Habakkuk 1:12-13](/codex/habakkuk-1-12-13/); 3:3**, *qadosh*; eyes too pure to look on evil - **[Hosea 11:9](/codex/hosea-11-9/)**, "I am God and not man, the *qadosh* in your midst" ## Patristic / scholarly note Patristic engagement: extensive across all church-historical periods. The Reformed tradition particularly emphasizes divine holiness (R. C. Sproul, *The Holiness of God*, 1985, the modern classic). Modern conservative scholarship: - John Webster (*Holiness*, 2003) - David Peterson (*Possessed by God*, 1995), biblical-theological treatment - Otto's *The Idea of the Holy* (1917), phenomenology of the *mysterium tremendum* ## See also - H6942 - qadash, verb to sanctify - H6944 - qodesh, holiness (noun) - G40 - hagios, Greek holy - G3741 - hosios, Greek pious - [Isaiah](/codex/isaiah-the-prophet/), Holy One of Israel - [Trinity](/codex/trinity/), Trisagion - [Christology](/codex/christianity/), Christ as Holy One ## Notes _Lexical workspace for qadosh._