Holiness — Meaning in the Bible
Being set apart and pure. God is holy, wholly other and morally perfect, and he calls his people, places and things to be holy, set apart for him.
What it means
God's holiness is shown when he meets Moses at the burning bush, telling him to remove his sandals because the ground is holy, and when the seraphim call "Holy, holy, holy" in Isaiah's vision. Exodus 3:5Isaiah 6:1–5
Because God is holy, Israel is to be holy, and the New Testament repeats this call to believers. Leviticus 19:21 Peter 1:15–16
Key passages
- Exodus 3:1–6 — Holy ground at the burning bush.
- Leviticus 19:1–2 — "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."
- Isaiah 6:1–7 — "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies!"
- 1 Peter 1:13–16 — Holy living for believers.
- Revelation 4:8 — The living creatures say "Holy, holy, holy".
Original language
קָדוֹשׁ qa.dosh
Hebrew · Strong’s H6918 · gloss: “holy”
The Hebrew adjective "holy". Leviticus 19:2Isaiah 6:3
ἅγιος hagios
Greek · Strong’s G40 · gloss: “holy”
The Greek word for holy, also used for "saints" (holy ones). 1 Peter 1:16
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
Holy means special and set apart for God. When Moses met God at the burning bush, God told him to take off his sandals because the ground was holy. Exodus 3:5
Study further
- Exodus 3:1–6 Holy ground.
- Leviticus 19:1–18 Holiness in daily life.
- Isaiah 6:1–8 A vision of the holy God.
- 1 Peter 1:13–25 Be holy.