H6918 H6918
Sacred, holy; set apart for God; as a divine title, 'the Holy One'; in the plural, holy ones or saints.
Qadosh is the adjective at the heart of biblical theology — the word Isaiah's seraphim cry three times (Isa 6:3) and the word that defines Israel's calling: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy' (Lev 19:2). Its root meaning is separation or setting-apart, but in biblical usage this separation is never mere isolation; it is consecration toward God, charged with divine presence and moral demand. As a divine attribute, qadosh describes God's transcendent otherness — exalted above all creation, unapproachable in purity. As a title, 'the Holy One of Israel' (qedosh Yisra'el) becomes Isaiah's signature name for God, fusing transcendence with covenantal intimacy. The plural qedoshim stretches to encompass both angelic beings in God's heavenly court and human beings called to reflect divine holiness. Languages fracture the range differently: Arabic quddus reserves the superlative form for God alone, while Korean 거룩한 and Swahili -takatifu serve for both divine and human holiness.
Senses
1. holy (divine attribute) — Adjectival predication of holiness: qadosh used predicatively or attributively to describe God, persons, places, objects, or times as sacred or set apart. This is the broadest sense at 50 occurrences, covering 'a holy nation' (Exod 19:6), 'a holy place' (Lev 6:16, 26-27), 'holy ground' (Exod 3:5), and 'you shall be holy' (Lev 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7). Spanish santo/santa, German heilig, French saint, and Korean 거룩한 all map consistently to this adjectival use. The levitical holiness code deploys this sense most densely, demanding that Israel's conduct match God's character. 50×
AR["قُدُّوسًا","قُدُّوسٌ","قُدْسٍ","قِدِّيسِينَ","مُقَدَّسًا","مُقَدَّسٌ","مُقَدَّسٍ","مُقَدَّسَةً"]·ben["পবিত্র"]·DE["heilig"]·EN["holy"]·FR["saint"]·heb["קדוש"]·HI["क्योंकि","पवित्र","पवित्र-है","मैं"]·ID["kudus","yang-kudus"]·IT["santo"]·jav["suci"]·KO["거룩하다","거룩한"]·PT["santa","santas","santo","santos"]·RU["свят","святой","святом","святую","святым","святыми"]·ES["santa","santas","santo","santos"]·SW["Kdshim","alitakasa","mtakatifu","patakatifu","takatifu","watakatifu"]·TR["kutsal"]·urd["قدوس","مقدس","پاک"]
2. the Holy One (divine title) — Substantivized divine title: 'the Holy One' (haqqadosh or qedosh) used as a name for God, most characteristically in the construct phrase qedosh Yisra'el, 'the Holy One of Israel.' Found 46 times, this is Isaiah's signature divine epithet (Isa 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:17, 20; 12:6; 29:19; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14-15; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9, 14), but it also appears in Psalms (71:22; 78:41; 89:18) and in Habakkuk's 'my Holy One' (Hab 1:12). Arabic al-Quddus is one of Allah's 99 names, and the Quranic usage confirms the substantival-title force. Korean 거룩하신 분 ('the Holy Being') and Swahili Mtakatifu both lexicalize the shift from adjective to proper title. 46×
AR["القُدُّوسُ","قُدُوسَ","قُدُوسُ","قُدُوسِ","قُدُّوسٌ","قُدُّوسُ","قُدُّوسِ","قُدُّوسِ-"]·ben["-পবিত্র","-পবিত্রজন","পবিত্র","পবিত্র-জন","পবিত্রজনকে","পবিত্রজনের","পবিত্রজনের-"]·DE["Heiliger","Holy-One-von"]·EN["Holy-One-of","Holy-One-of-","holy","of-Yaaqov","of-Yisrael","the-Holy-One","the-Holy-One-of","the-holy","they-are-estranged"]·FR["Holy-One-de","le-Saint","saint"]·heb["ה-קדוש","קדוש","קדוש-"]·HI["पवित्र","पवित्र-"]·ID["Kudus","Yang-Kudus","Yang-Kudus-","Yang-Mahakudus","kudus"]·IT["Holy-One-di","santo"]·jav["Ingkang-Maha-Suci","Ingkang-Mahasuci","Ingkang-Suci","Ingkang-Suci-","Israel","Suci"]·KO["거룩하도다","거룩하신","거룩하신-이","거룩하신-이가","거룩하신-이를","거룩하신-이의","거룩하신-이의-","거룩한-자","거룩한-자가","거룩한-자를"]·PT["Santo","Santo-de","o-Santo-de","o-santo","santo"]·RU["Свят","Святого","Святого-","Святой","Святой-","Святому"]·ES["Santo","Santo-de","al-Santo-de","el-Santo","el-Santo-de","santo"]·SW["Mtakatifu","Mtakatifu-wa","ni-Mtakatifu"]·TR["Kuddus'e","Kutsal","Kutsal'i","Kutsal'ina","Kutsal-Olan'a-","Kutsal-Olani","Kutsal-Olanina","Kutsal-Olanini","Kutsali","Kutsalinin","Kutsalinin-","Kutsalına"]·urd["قدوس","قدوس-کے"]
3. holy ones / saints — Plural substantive: qedoshim meaning 'holy ones' or 'saints' — either angelic beings in the divine council or human beings consecrated to God. Twenty occurrences span both referents: Deuteronomy 33:3 speaks of God's qedoshav ('his holy ones') coming from Sinai with angelic hosts; Psalm 34:10 exhorts 'fear the LORD, you his holy ones'; Hosea 12:1 mentions God as 'faithful to the holy ones'; and Daniel 7:18-27 promises the kingdom to 'the saints of the Most High.' The ambiguity between celestial and terrestrial referents is itself theologically significant — the same holiness that characterizes God's heavenly attendants is demanded of his earthly people. Swahili watakatifu and Spanish los santos both handle this range with a single plural form. 20×
AR["القُدُّوسينَ","القِدِّيسينَ","الْقُدُوسَ","الْقِدَّيسِينَ","الْقِدِّيسِينَ","الْمُقَدَّسِينَ","فِي-قِدِّيسِيهِ","قُدُّوسينَ","قُدُّوسِينَ","قِدِّيسُونَ","قِدِّيسِينَ","قِدِّيسِيهِ","قِدّيسيهِ","لِ-القِدِّيسِينَ"]·ben["(তাঁর-পবিত্রদের-মধ্যে)","-পবিত্রদের","[তাঁর-পবিত্রতায়]","তাঁর-পবিত্রদের","তাঁর-পবিত্ররা","পবিত্র","পবিত্রগণ","পবিত্রদের","পবিত্রদের-জন্য","পবিত্রদের-সেই-","পবিত্রের"]·DE["Allerheiligste","Heiliger","[(בקדשיו)]","[[בקדשו]]","[מקדשים]","[קדושים]","[קדשים]","der-heilig","heilig-die","sein-heilig","sein-heilig-die","wie-zu-dem-heilig"]·EN["(in-holy-ones-his)","His-holy-ones","[in-holy-one-his]","as-for-the-saints","his-holy-ones","holy-ones","the-Holy-One","the-holy-ones"]·FR["dans-saint-lui","de-saint","saint","saint-ones","saints","son-saint-ones","à-saint"]·heb["ב-קדושיו","ה-קדוש","ל-קדושים","מ-קדושים","קדוש","קדושי-ו","קדושיו","קדושים"]·HI["अपने-पवित्रों-पर","उसके-पवित्र","पवित्र","पवित्र-का","पवित्र-के","पवित्र-जन","पवित्र-जनों","पवित्र-हैं","पवित्रो-उसके","पवित्रों","पवित्रों-का","पवित्रों-की","ले-पवित्रों-के-लिए"]·ID["K","Kudus","Kuduslah","Untuk-orang-orang-kudus","Yang-Kudus","dari-orang-orang-kudus","kudus","orang-orang-kudus","orang-orang-kudus-Nya","pada-orang-orang-kudus-Nya","yang-kudus"]·IT["da-santo","in-santo-suo","santo","santo-quelli","suo-santo-quelli"]·jav["Ingkang-Suci","Kang-Suci","Kanggé-para-suci","Suci","ing-suci-Panjenengannipun","ingkang-suci","para-suci","para-suci-Panjenenganipun","para-suci-Panjenengané","saking-para-suci","suci"]·KO["(그의-거룩한-자들에게)","[그의-거룩한-자들에게]","거룩한","거룩한-분들의","거룩한-자-들-의","거룩한-자들-에게","거룩한-자들-의","거룩한-자들에게","거룩한-자들이","그-거룩한-자들","그-의-성도들아","그의-거룩한-자들이","에서-거룩한-자들"]·PT["Aos-santos","Santos","[em-seu-santo]","dos-santos","em-seus-santos","os-santos","santo","santos","seus-santos","ó-seus-santos"]·RU["Святых","из-святых","к-святым","святые","святые-Его","святым","святым-Своим","святыми","святых"]·ES["Santos","a-los-santos","de-los-santos","en-Sus-santos","los-santos","santos","sus-santos"]·SW["Kwa-watakatifu","Mtakatifu","Watakatifu","[watakatifu-wake]","hakּdwoshiym","miongoni-mwa-watakatifu","watakatifu","watakatifu-wake","wote-wake"]·TR["[kutsallarında]","kutsal","kutsal-olanlar","kutsallar","kutsallara","kutsallara-","kutsallardan","kutsallardır","kutsalları-O'nun","kutsalların","kutsallarında","kutsallarını"]·urd["-مقدسوں-کے-لیے","اس-کے-مقدسین","اپنے-مقدسوں-پر","اے-اُس-کے-مقدسو","قدوس-کا","قدوسوں","مقدس","مقدسوں-میں-سے","مقدسین","مقدسین-کی","مقدّس","مقدّسوں","پاک","پاک-کا","پاکوں-کی"]
4. sense 4 — Holy offerings or sacred donations: qadosh in construct with genitive, referring to consecrated items or portions set apart for priestly use. Two occurrences at Numbers 18:8 and 18:32, where qodshim (or qadosh in construct) designates the sacred offerings that the Levites receive and must handle with care. Spanish cosas santas ('holy things') and German heilige Sachen confirm the shift from personal holiness to consecrated-object status. This represents a metonymic extension: from the quality of being set apart to the concrete items that have been set apart. 2×
AR["أَقْدَاسَ","أَقْدَاسِ"]·ben["পবিত্র-বস্তুগুলি"]·DE["heilig-Sachen-von"]·EN["holy-things-of"]·FR["saint-choses-de"]·heb["קדוש"]·HI["पवित्र-वस्तुएं"]·ID["hal-hal-kudus"]·IT["santo-cose-di"]·jav["barang-suci"]·KO["거룩한-것들-의"]·PT["coisas-santas-de"]·RU["святыни","святынь"]·ES["cosas-santas-de","las-cosas-santas-de"]·SW["vitu-takatifu","vitu-takatifu-vyote"]·TR["kutsallarını","kutsallarının"]·urd["مقدّس-چیزوں"]
5. sense 5 — Holy precinct or sacred space: qadosh used in construct to designate a sanctified place or the holy courts of God's dwelling. One occurrence at Psalm 65:4, where the psalmist speaks of being satisfied with 'the holiness/holy place of your house' — the sanctuary as the locus of divine presence and blessing. Spanish santidad de, French saintete, and German der heilige all render this as a spatial-sacred concept. This is a locative extension of the root adjective, where holiness becomes a metonym for the place characterized by holiness. 1×
AR["قُدْسِ"]·ben["পবিত্র"]·DE["der-heilig-"]·EN["the-holy-place-of"]·FR["sainteté"]·heb["קדוש"]·HI["पवित्र"]·ID["yang-kudus"]·IT["santo"]·jav["suci"]·KO["거룩한"]·PT["santo"]·RU["святыней"]·ES["santidad-de"]·SW["utakatifu"]·TR["kutsallığıyla-"]·urd["پاکی"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† קָדוֹשׁ adj. sacred, holy;—abs. ק׳ Ex 19:6 +; קָדשׁ Ex 29:31 +; cstr. קְדוֹשׁ Is 1:4 +; קְדשׁ Is 49:7 + 2 times; sf. קְדשִׁי Hb 1:12; קְדוֹשׁוֹ Is 10:17; 49:7 קְדוֹשְׁכֶם Is 43:15; pl. קְדוֹשִׁים Ho 12:1 + 2 times, קְדשִׁים Lv 11:44 + 16 times; sf. קְדשָׁיו Dt 33:3 ψ 34:10, קְדשָׁו֯ Jb 15:15;— 1. of God, as separate, apart, and so sacred, holy: a. exalted on theophanic throne Is 6:3(×3), ψ…