The word ‘Holy’ can be very confusing for many people. Before we get into the meaning of this word, I would first like to explain, in easy terms, how language works.
When I was a young child, my grandfather would ask me, “Are you happy and gay?” I would enthusiastically reply, “Yes Grandpa, I am happy and gay!” This was mostly after I had received a bar of chocolate from my late grandfather!
My late ‘army’ grandfather didn’t have any other motives in asking that question. He was simply repeating a line that was common in the literature and songs that he was familiar with. In today’s world, I cannot answer that question in the same way I had answered my late grandfather. In my view, the word ‘Gay’ has been hijacked. If I said that line today, it would mean something that I didn’t mean to say!
This example illustrates how the meanings of words can evolve over time and the importance of understanding words within a broader context than just the current definition. For most of us, to know the meaning of a word we would open a dictionary that we trust. These days, needing a quick fix, we would ask Google for the meaning and read off the very first line. But, how many of us have bothered to look past the first and most common meaning of a word? Dictionaries record the meanings of words that society needs for the current time, i.e., in today’s world. However, if we look at a word’s meaning over time or look for the word’s origins, we can gain a much deeper understanding of what is to be understood by the use of a word.
The Problem:
‘Common’ understanding or assumptions of the meaning of words can lead to problems and misunderstandings. Many look at the word ‘Holy’ and assume: Pure, Sacred, Sinless, Very Clean, etc. Most Indian languages translate Holy as ‘Parishuda, Parisutham, Parishudhan, Pavitra, etc.” These words convey the idea that holy is of supernatural purity, supernatural cleanliness, or supernatural sinlessness.
So a statement like: “...Be holy as I am holy...” in Leviticus 19:2, can get misinterpreted as “...be sinless as God is sinless...”. That is impossible for all humans on earth!
So let’s go a little deeper into exploring and understanding the meaning of the word Holy. The current English dictionary definition of the word Holy is:
Holy (adjective): dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.
Example: "the Holy Bible"
Holy (adjective): morally and spiritually excellent.
Example: "I do not lead a holy life"
What is the original meaning in Biblical Hebrew?
To better our understanding of the meaning of the word Holy in the Old Testament, it is helpful to know the Hebrew words used for “Holy” and what meaning those words had in those times.
The Hebrew word for Holy is Qadosh. This is defined as: Qadosh (adjective) = of God, as separate, apart, and so sacred, holy.
A common meaning given for Holy is ‘Set Apart’. But notice that in the definition of Qadosh, the words ‘separate’ and ‘apart’ are not joined together into one concept. The correct Hebrew word for the concept of ‘set apart’ is Qadash which means ‘Sanctify. This is a similar but yet very different word from Qadosh, the Hebrew word for “Holy”. This shows us that when words are joined together, the meanings change, same as with English.
So we can now understand the meaning of Holy to be:
Holy = Apart,
Holy = Separate,
Holy = No duplicates,
Holy = Unique.
Where can we verify this claim? God explains this further in Isaiah 46:9
9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
It means there are no duplicates of God. There is nothing to compare God to! There is no one to compare God to! Let’s read Isaiah 40:25
25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
Now the meaning of Leviticus 19:2 can be understood better as:
“...Be holy as I am holy...”
“...Be unique as I am unique...”
“...Be different as I am different...”
Application:
One cannot see the air. We feel it as it breezes past us. We can feel the heat or the lack of heat, a.k.a. coldness. By interacting with air, we understand its nature, properties, and dynamics.
This is the same with a Holy God. We cannot see God, but we can experience His holiness through our encounters with His holiness. It is through these encounters that we begin to understand God’s holiness; His uniqueness; His differences. So, what are these uniquenesses or differences that we are expected to show to the world in order for others to encounter God’s holiness? We need to communicate with God to know more about that.
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