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ἅγιος

hágios

G40 attributive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily, ἅγιος denotes that which is set apart from the ordinary for a special, often divine, purpose; hence, 'dedicated' or 'consecrated.' In extended contexts, it also signifies moral purity, ritual cleanness, or uprightness, describing persons, objects, places, or times that are regarded as distinct from the everyday through association with the divine or the sacred. Thus, it encompasses both the idea of being set apart to the divine realm and, secondarily, being pure or worthy due to that special status.

Semantic Range

set apart for the divine, consecrated, holy, sacred, dedicated (person, object, place, or time); belonging to the divine realm; ritually clean; morally upright; (of people) member of the community devoted to God ('saint')

Root / Etymology

Possible connection to the root ἁγ- ('to be devoted to the gods, to be sacred'), related to ἁγνός ('pure'), but ultimate origin is uncertain. Pre-Greek or non-Indo-European origin has also been proposed; the root is distinctive in Greek and lacks an Indo-European correspondence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἅγιος primarily referred to that which was dedicated to a god—people, objects, or rituals—and hence not for common use. In the Septuagint, ἅγιος renders Hebrew קדושׁ (qadosh), expanding the sense of 'set apart' to God, people (the Israelites), objects, places, and times. In the New Testament, ἅγιος retains this core meaning of consecration to the divine, commonly describing God (as utterly distinct), the 'Holy Spirit' (τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον), and those associated with God's people (occasionally translated as 'saints', indicating not moral perfection but identity as belonging to God). English translations often render ἅγιος as 'holy' or 'saint', but the term's semantic range includes both ritual/ontological separation and, secondarily, ethical or moral purity deriving from that association. Its usage overlaps with—but is distinct from—ἁγνός, which denotes intrinsic purity, particularly of ritual or moral kind, without necessarily implying the aspect of consecration or separation. In both Jewish and early Christian contexts, ἅγιος functions mainly as an identity marker of belonging to the sacred sphere rather than a statement of achieved moral perfection.

Translation Consistency

primary "holy" 187 occurrences

'Holy' is the most natural, common English rendering that captures the primary SILEX sense of being set apart for the divine (consecrated/sacred) and also covers related senses of ritual purity and moral uprightness. It is the dominant translation in the data (and in English Bibles), reads naturally for people, places, objects, and times, and preserves consistency across all forms of G40.

Alternatives (45 occurrences):
"set-apart ones" (13x) "set-apart" (10x) "consecrated ones" (9x) "saints" (5x) "consecrated" (3x) "set-apart things" (2x) "consecrated one" (1x) "o set-apart one" (1x) "saint" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (an awful thing) (compare ἁγνός, θάλπω); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.

Root Family

ἅγιος (hagios) — set apart, consecrate, dedicate

Root ἁγ- to set apart, to consecrate, to dedicate
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G425 ἄνεσις to the most holy

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G40-10 ἅγιον agion ADJ.S ACC N SG Holy the consecrated thing the holy thing 85
G40-12 Ἁγίου agiou ADJ.A GEN N SG Holy of the consecrated of the holy 42
G40-07 Ἁγίῳ agio ADJ.A DAT N SG Holy to the consecrated one to the holy one 26
G40-09 ἁγίοις agiois ADJ.S DAT M PL saints to the consecrated ones to the holy ones 19
G40-01 ἁγία agia ADJ.A NOM F SG holy set-apart set-apart 14
G40-11 Ἅγιος agios ADJ.S NOM M SG holy Set-Apart One the Holy One 13
G40-13 ἁγίους agious ADJ.S ACC M PL saints set-apart ones set-apart ones 12
G40-08 ἅγιοι agioi ADJ.S NOM M PL holy the consecrated ones the holy ones 8
G40-04 ἁγίαν agian ADJ.A ACC F SG holy consecrated (feminine singular accusative) holy 6
G40-05 ἁγίας agias ADJ.A GEN F SG holy of the consecrated (feminine) of the holy (feminine) 3

Occurrences in Scripture

233 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G40-12 Matthew 1:18 Ἁγίου agiou ADJ.A GEN N SG Holy of the consecrated of the holy
G40-12 Matthew 1:20 Ἁγίου agiou ADJ.A GEN N SG Holy of the consecrated of the holy
G40-07 Matthew 3:11 Ἁγίῳ agio ADJ.A DAT N SG Holy to the consecrated one to the holy one
G40-04 Matthew 4:5 ἁγίαν agian ADJ.A ACC F SG holy consecrated (feminine singular accusative) holy
G40-10 Matthew 7:6 ἅγιον agion ADJ.S ACC N SG holy the consecrated thing the holy thing
G40-12 Matthew 12:32 Ἁγίου agiou ADJ.R GEN N SG Holy of the consecrated of the holy
G40-07 Matthew 24:15 ἁγίῳ agio ADJ.A DAT M SG holy to the consecrated one to the holy one
G40-10 Matthew 27:52 ἁγίων agion ADJ.S GEN M PL saints the consecrated thing holy ones
G40-04 Matthew 27:53 ἁγίαν agian ADJ.A ACC F SG holy consecrated (feminine singular accusative) holy
G40-12 Matthew 28:19 Ἁγίου agiou ADJ.A GEN N SG Holy of the consecrated of the holy
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