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קָדַשׁ

𐤒𐤃𐤔

qâdash

H6942 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primarily, to be set apart, to be consecrated, or to be regarded as holy; also, to make or declare holy, to dedicate something or someone for a special purpose, particularly in a cultic or ritual sense. The verb extends to denote the act of consecration, separation from common use to sacred use, and the recognition or treatment of a person, object, time, or place as holy. In causative stems (Piel, Hiphil), it can mean to sanctify, to declare holy, to consecrate (priests, objects, times), or to prepare for sacred use. It can also reflect entrance into a state of holiness or separation, and in some contexts, can mean to observe or treat as sacred, or to regard with highest respect and set apart from profane use.

Semantic Range

to be holy, to become holy, to be consecrated, to dedicate for sacred use, to declare holy, to sanctify, to set apart, to treat as sacred, to observe as holy (e.g., the Sabbath), to prepare for sacred function

Root / Etymology

From the root קדש meaning 'to be set apart, to be holy.' The verbal form develops from the sense of marked separation or distinction, culminating in the concept of holiness or sacredness. The stem occurs widely in Semitic languages with the sense of separation to or for the divine.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb קָדַשׁ is central to biblical conceptions of holiness, as it describes both the intrinsic status ('to be holy') and the ritual process ('to make holy'). Originally, the core idea is separation for a special or divine purpose, not moral perfection. The term marks off Israelites, priests, objects, or times dedicated to YHWH from what is common (חָל). In the Priestly tradition and Levitical texts (e.g., Leviticus, Numbers), it denotes strictly ritual categories—the act of dedication or setting apart (as in the consecration of Aaron and his sons, or the sanctification of festival days). In prophetic or Deuteronomistic contexts, it may acquire a broader ethical dimension, but always rests on the foundation of distinctiveness for YHWH. Later, in Second Temple and post-exilic periods, 'holiness' is increasingly associated both with ritual purity and moral behavior. English translations sometimes obscure the technical, covenantal, communal, or cultic connotations with generic terms 'holy' or 'sanctify.'

Translation Consistency

primary "consecrate" 133 occurrences

'Consecrate' best captures the primary and cultic senses of קָדַשׁ — to be set apart/holy and to make or declare holy — and is the most frequent, natural single-word rendering across the SILEX occurrences. It covers both intransitive (be consecrated) and causative (consecrate) uses while remaining consistent and clear.

Alternatives (40 occurrences):
"set apart" (8x) "sanctify" (7x) "set apart as holy" (5x) "set me apart as holy" (2x) "sanctified" (2x) "sanctify yourselves" (1x) "sanctifying" (1x) "became set-apart" (1x) "showed himself holy" (1x) "purifying" (1x) "when is sanctified" (1x) "made you holy" (1x) "ones sanctifying" (1x) "set you apart as holy" (1x) "holy places" (1x) "who sanctifies" (1x) "set myself apart as holy" (1x) "made holy" (1x) "become holy" (1x) "dedicated" (1x) "sacred things" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally); appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), [idiom] wholly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדש (q-d-sh) — to be set apart, to be holy, to consecrate, to dedicate, to sanctify

Root קדש to be set apart, to be holy, to consecrate, to dedicate, to sanctify
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6918 קָדוֹשׁ in a set-apart one
H6922 קַדִּישׁ to holy ones of
H6943 קֶדֶשׁ from Qedesh
H6944 קֹדֶשׁ in the sacred things
H6948 קְדֵשָׁה the consecrated woman

Word Forms

79 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6942-35 קָדֵֽשׁוּ qadeshu HVqp3cp Prepare they were set apart consecrate 10
H6942-67 וְ/קִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ veqidasheta HC/Vpq2ms and you shall consecrate and you consecrated and you consecrated 9
H6942-47 וַ/יְקַדֵּ֖שׁ vayeqadesh HC/Vpw3ms and he consecrated and he consecrated and he consecrated 8
H6942-13 הִקְדִּ֛ישׁ hiqedish HVhp3ms dedicated he consecrated he consecrated 7
H6942-17 הִתְקַדְּשׁ֣וּ hiteqadeshu HVtv2mp consecrate yourselves Set yourselves apart Consecrate yourselves 6
H6942-11 הִקְדַּ֨שְׁתִּי hiqedasheti HVhp1cs I have consecrated I set apart as holy I consecrated 6
H6942-74 יַקְדִּ֨שׁ yaqedish HVhi3ms he dedicates he will consecrate he will consecrate 6
H6942-22 לְ/קַדֵּ֥שׁ leqadesh HR/Vpc to sanctify to set apart as holy to consecrate 6
H6942-62 וְ/נִ֨קְדַּשְׁתִּ֔י veniqedasheti HC/VNq1cs and-I-shall-be-sanctified and I will be set apart as holy and I will be consecrated as holy 5
H6942-24 לְ/קַדְּשֽׁ/וֹ leqadesho HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to consecrate him to consecrate him to consecrate him 5

Occurrences in Scripture

173 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6942-47 Genesis 2:3 וַ/יְקַדֵּ֖שׁ vayeqadesh HC/Vpw3ms and sanctified and he consecrated and he consecrated
H6942-34 Exodus 13:2 קַדֶּשׁ qadesh HVpv2ms Sanctify Holy-Place Sanctify
H6942-68 Exodus 19:10 וְ/קִדַּשְׁתָּ֥/ם veqidashetam HC/Vpq2ms/Sp3mp and consecrate them and you consecrated them and consecrate them
H6942-47 Exodus 19:14 וַ/יְקַדֵּשׁ֙ vayeqadesh HC/Vpw3ms and consecrated and he consecrated and he consecrated
H6942-78 Exodus 19:22 יִתְקַדָּ֑שׁוּ yiteqadashu HVti3mp consecrate themselves they will set themselves apart they shall consecrate themselves
H6942-71 Exodus 19:23 וְ/קִדַּשְׁתּֽ/וֹ veqidasheto HC/Vpq2ms/Sp3ms and consecrate it and you shall consecrate him and you shall consecrate him
H6942-24 Exodus 20:8 לְ/קַדְּשֽׁ/וֹ leqadesho HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to keep it holy to consecrate him to consecrate him
H6942-48 Exodus 20:11 וַֽ/יְקַדְּשֵֽׁ/הוּ vayeqadeshehu HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms and sanctified it and he set him apart as holy and he consecrated it as holy
H6942-24 Exodus 28:3 לְ/קַדְּשׁ֖/וֹ leqadesho HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to-consecrate-him to consecrate him to consecrate him
H6942-75 Exodus 28:38 יַקְדִּ֨ישׁוּ֙ yaqedishu HVhi3mp the sons of Israel consecrate they will consecrate they will consecrate
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