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ἁγιασμός

hagiasmós

G38 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The process or state of being made holy or set apart; consecration, sanctification. In various contexts, refers to the act of dedicating something or someone for a special or sacred purpose, or the ethical quality of moral purity distinguished from common or profane use.

Semantic Range

sanctification, consecration, state of being holy, act of making holy, moral or ritual purity, separation for sacred use

Root / Etymology

From ἁγιάζω (to make holy, to consecrate) and ultimately from ἅγιος (holy, set apart). The suffix -μός forms abstract nouns indicating action or result.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἁγιασμός appears in Hellenistic literature as well as the Septuagint and New Testament, chiefly denoting the process or result of being made holy or separated for a sacred purpose. In classical Greek, the stem ἁγια- is rare and ἁγιασμός is mainly a post-classical and Koine development, prominent in religious and cultic contexts. In the Septuagint, it can translate terms connected to ritual purification or consecration, thus drawing on Israelite and Judean ritual categories. In New Testament usage, ἁγιασμός primarily denotes either (a) the process by which people or things are set apart for the divine, or (b) the ethical state resulting from this consecration—a conduct befitting those dedicated to the sacred. Standard English translations as 'sanctification,' 'holiness,' or 'consecration' may not fully capture its dual aspect as both process and resulting condition. The word does not in itself specify the means (ritual, ethical behavior, divine act), but context may clarify.

Translation Consistency

primary "sanctification" 8 occurrences

ἁγιασμός primarily denotes the process or state of being made holy — both the act of setting apart and the resulting moral/ritual purity. “Sanctification” is the standard, natural English term that covers the full SILEX range (process, state, and dedication) and will render consistently across occurrences better than narrower alternatives like “consecration” or “holiness.”

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"consecration" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἁγιάζω; properly, purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier:--holiness, sanctification.

Root Family

ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) — sanctification, consecration, making holy, set-apartness

Root ἁγια- to make holy, to set apart, to consecrate

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G38-01 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG sanctification to consecration to sanctification 5
G38-02 ἁγιασμόν agiasmon N ACC M SG holiness consecration sanctification 3
G38-03 ἁγιασμὸς agiasmos N NOM M SG sanctification consecration consecration 2

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G38-02 Romans 6:19 ἁγιασμόν agiasmon N ACC M SG sanctification consecration sanctification
G38-02 Romans 6:22 ἁγιασμόν agiasmon N ACC M SG holiness consecration sanctification
G38-03 1 Corinthians 1:30 ἁγιασμὸς agiasmos N NOM M SG sanctification consecration consecration
G38-03 1 Thessalonians 4:3 ἁγιασμὸς agiasmos N NOM M SG sanctification consecration consecration
G38-01 1 Thessalonians 4:4 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG sanctification to consecration sanctification
G38-01 1 Thessalonians 4:7 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG sanctification to consecration to sanctification
G38-01 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG sanctification to consecration to sanctification
G38-01 1 Timothy 2:15 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG holiness to consecration to sanctification
G38-02 Hebrews 12:14 ἁγιασμόν agiasmon N ACC M SG holiness consecration sanctification
G38-01 1 Peter 1:2 ἁγιασμῷ agiasmo N DAT M SG sanctification to consecration sanctification
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