ἅγιος G0040
Holy, sacred, set apart; of persons (saints, the Holy One), places (sanctuary, holy of holies), and things consecrated to God.
Hagios is one of the most pervasive theological adjectives in the New Testament, appearing 235 times across nearly every book. At its core lies the idea of being set apart — separated from the ordinary and devoted to God. Yet the word's flexibility is remarkable: it describes the Spirit of God himself (to pneuma to hagion), the community of believers (hoi hagioi, 'the saints'), the temple precincts (ta hagia), and individual objects or places consecrated for divine use. The multilingual evidence confirms these distinct uses — Spanish and German both render the Spirit-title as Santo/Heiliger with capital letters, while the substantive plural 'saints' triggers entirely different vocabulary in Korean (seongdodeul) and Swahili (watakatifu, 'purified ones'). The word's range from 'the Holy Spirit' to 'holy ground' to 'the saints' traces the entire arc of biblical holiness: God is holy, he makes places holy, and he makes people holy.
1. the Holy One, Holy Spirit — The substantive singular use designating the Holy Spirit (pneuma hagion) or 'the Holy One' as a divine title — the largest cluster at 98 occurrences. Nearly every Gospel and Acts passage about the Spirit uses this construction (Matt 1:18, 3:11, 28:19; Acts 1:8). Across languages the rendering is remarkably consistent as a proper title: Spanish Espiritu Santo, French Saint-Esprit, German Heiliger Geist, Korean 성령 (Seongnyeong). The uniformity confirms this is a lexicalized title, not merely an adjective modifying 'spirit.' Jesus' warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:32) shows how this title carries its own theological weight distinct from ordinary adjectival 'holiness.' 98×
AR["القُدُسِ","الْقُدُسُ","الْقُدُسِ","قُدُسٍ","قُدُسِ","قُدُّوسُ","قُدّوسُ"]·ben["পবিত্র","পবিত্র,","পবিত্র।","পবিত্রের"]·DE["heilig"]·EN["Holy","Holy-One"]·FR["saint"]·heb["הַקֹּדֶשׁ","קָדוֹשׁ","קֹּדֶשׁ","קֹדֶשׁ"]·HI["के","पवित्र","पवित्र-के","रखता"]·ID["Kudus","Kudus,","Kudus.","Yang-Kudus"]·IT["santo"]·jav["Suci","Suci,","Suci."]·KO["거룩하신-으로","거룩한","거룩한-이"]·PT["Santo","Santo,","Santo."]·RU["Святого","Святого,","Святой","Святом","Святому","Святым"]·ES["Santo"]·SW["Mtakatifu","Mtakatifu,","Takatifu."]·TR["Kutsal","Kutsal,","Kutsal-Olan","Kutsal.","Kutsalı"]·urd["القدس","قدوس","قدوس-کے","مقدس","پاک","پاک-","پاک-سے","پاک-کے"]
Matt 1:18, Matt 1:20, Matt 3:11, Matt 12:32, Matt 28:19, Mark 1:8, Mark 1:24, Mark 3:29, Mark 12:36, Mark 13:11, Luke 1:15, Luke 1:35 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. holy, sacred, consecrated — Attributive or predicative adjective describing things, places, or persons as sacred, set apart, or consecrated to God — 65 occurrences. The 'holy city' (Matt 4:5), 'holy place' in Daniel's prophecy (Matt 24:15), 'holy ground' (Acts 7:33), and 'holy Scriptures' (Rom 1:2) all fall here. This is the basic adjectival sense from which the substantive uses derive. German heilig and French saint function identically as attributive modifiers. The superlative 'most holy faith' (Jude 1:20) and the phrase 'holy and blameless' (Eph 1:4) illustrate the full range of this attributive function, from cultic consecration to moral purity. 65×
AR["القُدُوسِ","القِدِّيسِينَ","الْقُدُّوسُ","الْقِدِّيسِينَ","الْقِدّيسينَ","الْمَدِينَةِ-الْمُقَدَّسَةِ","الْمُقَدَّسَ","الْمُقَدَّسَةِ","قُدُّوسًا","قُدُّوسٌ","قُدُّوسٍ","قُدّوسًا","قِدِّيسِينَ","مُقَدَّسٍ","مُقَدَّسَ","مُقَدَّسَةٌ","مُقَدَّسِ"]·ben["পবিত্র","পবিত্র,"]·DE["heilig"]·EN["holy"]·FR["saint"]·heb["הַקָּדוֹשׁ","קְדוֹשִׁים","קְדוֹשָׁה","קָּדוֹשׁ","קָדוֹשׁ","קֹדֶשׁ"]·HI["अभिषिक्त-किया-था","और","पवित्र","पवित्र-को"]·ID["itu","kudus"]·IT["santo"]·jav["Suci","suci","suci,","suci."]·KO["거룩하다","거룩하신-이여","거룩한","거룩한,","거룩한-것","거룩한-이가","종-을","종-의"]·PT["santa","santo","santos"]·RU["Святое","Святый,","святая","свято","святого","святое","святой","святом","святым","святыми","святых"]·ES["santa","santo","santos"]·SW["-","Mtakatifu","kitakatifu","mji-mtakatifu","mtakatifu","mtakatifu,","takatifu","watakatifu"]·TR["-den","Kutsal","kulun","kutsal","kutsalı","vardır"]·urd["مقدس","مقدس-کو","مُقدّس","پاک"]
3. saints, holy ones (persons) — Substantive plural designating God's people — 'the saints,' 'the holy ones' (hoi hagioi) — 61 occurrences concentrated in Acts and the Pauline epistles. Paul greets 'all the saints in Christ Jesus' (Phil 1:1); Peter visits 'the saints at Lydda' (Acts 9:32); the risen saints emerge from tombs at the crucifixion (Matt 27:52). Korean 성도들 (seongdodeul) and Swahili watakatifu both have dedicated terms for this communal identity marker, distinct from the adjective. The term encodes ecclesiology: believers are not merely 'good people' but a consecrated community set apart for God's purposes, echoing the Old Testament qahal ('assembly'). 61×
AR["-القِدِّيسِينَ","القِدِّيسِينَ","القِدّيسونَ","القِدّيسينَ","الْقِدِّيسِينَ","قِدِّيسينَ","قِدِّيسِي","قِدِّيسِينَ","قِدِّيسِينَ،","قِدّيسينَ"]·ben["পবিত্র","পবিত্রগণ","পবিত্রগণ:","পবিত্রদের","পবিত্রদের,","পবিত্রদের-কাছে","পবিত্রদের।","সন্তদের","সাধুদের"]·DE["heilig"]·EN["holy-ones","saints"]·FR["saint"]·heb["קְדוֹשִׁים"]·HI["पवित्र","पवित्र-लोगों","पवित्र-लोगों-की","पवित्रों","पवित्रों-के","पवित्रोंको"]·ID["kudus","menjadi-kudus:","orang-kudus","orang-kudus.","orang-orang-kudus","orang-orang-kudus,"]·IT["santo"]·jav["-para-suci","para-suci","para-suci,","suci","suci:","tiyang-suci"]·KO["거룩한-자들-의","성도들","성도들-과","성도들-에게","성도들-의","성도들에게","성도들을","성도들의","성도들이"]·PT["santos","santos,","santos."]·RU["-Иерусалиме","-гостеприимство","и-","святые","святым","святыми","святых"]·ES["santos"]·SW["watakatifu","watakatifu,","watakatifu.","watakatifu:"]·TR["emrettim","hepsine","hepsiyle","kutsallara","kutsallarca","kutsalları","kutsalların","o-"]·urd["مقدسوں","مقدسوں۔","مقدسین","مقدّس","مقدّسوں","مُقدّسوں","مُقدّسوں-کی","مُقدّسوں-کے"]
4. holy place, sanctuary — Substantive neuter use referring to sacred spaces — the sanctuary, the holy place, or the holy of holies (ta hagia, hagia hagion) — 11 occurrences, almost all in Hebrews 8-10. The author of Hebrews uses ta hagia for the heavenly sanctuary that Christ enters as high priest (Heb 8:2, 9:12), while hagia hagion designates the innermost chamber behind the veil (Heb 9:3). Spanish Lugar Santo and German Heiligtum both use dedicated sanctuary vocabulary here rather than a generic 'holy' adjective. The Septuagint background is crucial: ta hagia translates Hebrew ha-qodesh, the technical priestly term for the tabernacle/temple interior (Lev 16:2-3), and Hebrews deliberately transfers this spatial holiness language from the earthly to the heavenly realm. 11×
AR["أَقْدَاس","أَقْدَاسٍ","الأَقْدَاسِ","القُدُسَ","المَقْدِسُ","قُدُسَ"]·ben["পবিত্রস্থান","পবিত্রস্থানে","পবিত্রস্থানের","পবিত্রের","মহাপবিত্রস্থান"]·DE["heilig"]·EN["Holy","holy-place","holy-places","holy-things","of-holies","sanctuary"]·FR["saint"]·heb["הַקֳּדָשִׁים","קְדוֹשִׁים","קֹדֶשׁ"]·HI["परम-पवित्र","पवित्र-स्थान","पवित्र-स्थान,","पवित्र-स्थानों,","पवित्र-स्थानों-में","पवित्र;"]·ID["Tempat-Kudus","Yang-Kudus","dari-Yang-Kudus","kudus","tempat-kudus","tempat-kudus,"]·IT["santo"]·jav["Mahasuci","Suci","sasucen","suci"]·KO["거룩한-것들의","거룩한-곳들에","거룩한-곳들의","거룩한-곳을","거룩한-곳이라","지극히-거룩한-곳","지성소들"]·PT["Santo","Santo-lugar","dos-Santos","santo","santos","santos-lugares","santuário"]·RU["Святое","Святых","святилища","святилище","святое"]·ES["Lugar-Santo","Santo","de-santos","santos","santuario"]·SW["Takatifu","patakatifu","takatifu","ya-Takatifu"]·TR["Kutsal-Yer","Kutsalların","Kutsalı","kutsal-yer","kutsal-yere","kutsal-yerin","kutsallığın"]·urd["مقدس-جگہ","مقدس-جگہ-میں","مقدس-جگہ-کا","مقدس-جگہ-کی","مقدسوں-کا","پاک-ترین","پاک-مقام"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)H2076 1. Qal: offer sacrifice (cultic) (116×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)H2931 1. ritually or morally unclean (88×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἅγιος [ᾰ], α, ον, devoted to the gods: __I in good sense, sacred, holy: __I.1 of things, especially temples, ἈΦροδίτης ἱρὸν ἅ.Refs 5th c.BC+; ἱρο᾽ν Ἡρακλέος ἅ.Refs 5th c.BC+; μητρός.. ἐστι πατρὶς ἁγιώτερονRefs 4th c.BC+; ἅ., τό, temple, LXX+NTHoly of Holies, NT __I.2 of persons, holy, pure, LXX+5th c.BC+ οἱ ἅ. the Saints, NT πνεῦμα ἅ. the Holy Spirit, NT adverb ἁγίως καὶ σεμνῶς ἔχεινRefs 5th…