Hebrew · KOH-desh
קֹדֶשׁ
Qodesh
“Holiness; that which is set apart”
“You are to be qodesh — holy — to me, because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart.”
Leviticus 20:26
Altars are qodesh — set apart, reserved, unhurried. Holiness in Scripture is not a mood of seriousness; it is a claim of ownership: this belongs to God alone.
What it means
Qodesh means separated out for a sacred purpose — the way a vessel taken from ordinary use is placed on the altar.
God does not merely possess holiness; He is holy — the word burns at the center of heaven's song: 'Holy, holy, holy.'
To be sanctified is to be made qodesh: removed from the common pile and placed on the altar for God alone.
Pray the word
Holy God, set me apart for Yourself — my time, my words, my desires, my altar.
Burn away what is common in me until only what belongs to You remains.
Let my life be a vessel taken off the shelf and placed in Your hand.
I am set apart for God — holy ground, a burning altar, reserved for His presence alone.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus! Amen.
Where it appears: Isaiah 6:3 · 1 Peter 1:15-16 · Exodus 3:5 · Romans 12:1