הַ/קְּדֵשָׁ֛ה
𐤄/𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤄
qᵉdêshâh
the cult prostitute
A woman set apart or dedicated for cultic or ritual purposes, particularly a woman participating in sacred or temple-associated sexual activity, which in some contexts functioned as ritual prostitution. The term identifies such women specifically in connection with non-Israelite religious practices but can hold the broader sense of a temple-associated woman or cultic devotee. In later periods, the word increasingly refers generically to a woman engaged in ritual or commercial sexual activity connected to places of worship.
Genesis 38:21 · Word #7
Lexicon H6948
| Lemma | קְדֵשָׁה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤄 |
| Transliteration | qᵉdêshâh |
| Strong's | H6948 |
| Definition | A woman set apart or dedicated for cultic or ritual purposes, particularly a woman participating in sacred or temple-associated sexual activity, which in some contexts functioned as ritual prostitution. The term identifies such women specifically in connection with non-Israelite religious practices but can hold the broader sense of a temple-associated woman or cultic devotee. In later periods, the word increasingly refers generically to a woman engaged in ritual or commercial sexual activity connected to places of worship. |
Morphology HTd/Ncfsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | the cult prostitute |
SIBI-P1 Translation H6948-01
the consecrated woman
| Morphological Notes | Noun, feminine singular absolute with definite article (הַ), from קדש. |
| Rendering Rationale | This rendering preserves the core root sense of being set apart or consecrated (קדש) while maintaining the feminine singular noun with the definite article. It avoids flattening the term to a generic prostitute and reflects its specialized cultic designation. |
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