קֹ֫דֶשׁ
qo.desh
holiness
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Qodesh: Sacred Separation in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *qodesh* (קֹ֫דֶשׁ) appears 416 times throughout the Bible, making it one of the most frequently used terms for religious concepts in ancient Israelite texts. The term translates as "holiness," but the lexical data indicates it denotes something fundamentally about separation or distinction rather than moral purity in the modern sense. The word functions as a central category for describing what belongs to the divine realm and is therefore set apart from ordinary use. The high frequency of *qodesh* across 416 occurrences suggests its importance spans multiple literary contexts and time periods within biblical composition. Its consistent translation as "holiness" indicates that the concept was understood as a discrete, recognizable quality that could be attributed to places (temples, sanctuaries), objects (sacred vessels, garments), times (sabbaths, festivals), and persons (priests, prophets). This range of application shows that "holiness" in biblical usage primarily describes a status of being consecrated or reserved for divine purposes rather than describing moral character alone. The prevalence of this single term across the biblical corpus underscores that the category of the sacred—what is separated from common life and dedicated to God—was fundamental to how ancient Hebrew speakers conceptualized religious practice and belief. Understanding *qodesh* as "
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
416 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to Yahweh, and give praise in holy array, as they go out before the army, and say, “Give thanks to Yahweh; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
2 Chronicles 23:6But let no one come into Yahweh’s house, except the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow Yahweh’s instructions.
2 Chronicles 24:7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up God’s house; and they also gave all the dedicated things of Yahweh’s house to the Baals.
2 Chronicles 29:33The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep.
2 Chronicles 30:19who sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
2 Chronicles 30:27Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.
2 Chronicles 31:6The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and laid them in heaps.
2 Chronicles 31:12They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second.
2 Chronicles 31:14Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the free will offerings of God, to distribute Yahweh’s offerings and the most holy things.
2 Chronicles 31:14Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the free will offerings of God, to distribute Yahweh’s offerings and the most holy things.
2 Chronicles 31:18and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness.
2 Chronicles 35:3He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God, and his people Israel.
2 Chronicles 35:13They roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.
Ezra 2:63The governor told them that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to serve with Urim and with Thummim.
Ezra 2:63The governor told them that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to serve with Urim and with Thummim.
Ezra 8:28I said to them, “You are holy to Yahweh, and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a free will offering to Yahweh, the God of your fathers.
Ezra 8:28I said to them, “You are holy to Yahweh, and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a free will offering to Yahweh, the God of your fathers.
Ezra 9:2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”
Ezra 9:8Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and revived us a little in our bondage.
Nehemiah 7:65The governor told that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.
Nehemiah 7:65The governor told that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.
Nehemiah 9:14and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant,
Nehemiah 10:31and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
Nehemiah 10:33for the show bread, for the continual meal offering, for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
Nehemiah 11:1The princes of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities.
Nehemiah 11:18All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.
Psalms 68:24They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
Psalms 2:6“Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
Psalms 3:4I cry to Yahweh with my voice, and he answers me out of his holy hill.
Psalms 5:7But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
Psalms 11:4Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.
Psalms 15:1Yahweh, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill?
Psalms 20:2send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion,
Psalms 20:6Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.
Psalms 24:3Who may ascend to Yahweh’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place?
Psalms 28:2Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalms 29:2Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.
Psalms 30:4Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name.
Psalms 33:21For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Psalms 43:3Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, to your tents.
Psalms 47:8God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne.
Psalms 48:1Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
Psalms 51:11Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalms 60:6God has spoken from his sanctuary: “I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
Psalms 63:2So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory.
Psalms 68:5A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psalms 74:3Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Psalms 77:13Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God?
Psalms 79:1God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
Psalms 87:1His foundation is in the holy mountains.