6945. qadesh

Lexicon

qadesh: Temple prostitute, cult prostitute, male shrine prostitute

Original Word: קָדֵשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qadesh
Pronunciation: kah-DAYSH
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-dashe')
Definition: Temple prostitute, cult prostitute, male shrine prostitute
Meaning: a, sacred person, a, devotee, to licentious idolatry

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

sodomite, unclean

From qadash; a (quasi) sacred person, i.e. (technically) a (male) devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry -- sodomite, unclean.

see HEBREW qadash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as qodesh
Definition
a temple prostitute
NASB Translation
cult prostitute (2), cult prostitutes (2), male cult prostitutes (2), sodomites (1), temple prostitute (3), temple prostitutes (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. קָדֵּשׁ noun masculine temple-prostitute (man) (compare RS^{Proph. ii. N. 19, and} see Assyrian Sub √); — ׳ק Deuteronomy 23:18; collective 1 Kings 14:24; 1 Kings 22:47; plural קְדֵשִׁים 1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:7; Job 36:14; also feminine קְדֵשָׁה (woman) Deuteronomy 23:18; plural קְדֵשׁוֺת Hosea 4:14; = harlot, feminine singular Genesis 38:21 (twice in verse); Genesis 38:22 (J).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root קָדַשׁ (Qadash), meaning "to be holy" or "to be set apart."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G1863 (epithymētēs): Refers to a person who desires or lusts, often used in a negative moral context.
• G4203 (porneuō): To commit fornication or engage in illicit sexual practices, often associated with idolatry.
• G4204 (pornē): A prostitute or harlot, used metaphorically for those who are unfaithful to God.
• G5055 (teleō): To complete or fulfill, sometimes used in the context of fulfilling religious duties or obligations.

These Greek terms, while not direct translations, capture the essence of the practices and moral implications associated with the Hebrew קָדֵשׁ, emphasizing the departure from God's standards and the call to holiness.

Usage: The term is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe male and female temple prostitutes who were associated with the worship of foreign gods. These individuals were considered "sacred" in the context of their religious practices, which were often condemned by the Israelite prophets and leaders.

Context: The term קָדֵשׁ (Qadesh) appears in several passages within the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts that highlight the abominable practices associated with idolatrous worship. The presence of temple prostitution was a common feature in the religious systems of the ancient Near East, where sexual acts were believed to ensure fertility and favor from the gods.

In the Israelite context, the practice of temple prostitution was strictly prohibited and condemned as it was contrary to the worship of Yahweh, who demanded holiness and purity from His people. The presence of קָדֵשׁ individuals was seen as a direct violation of the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

Notable references include:
• Deuteronomy 23:17 (BSB): "No daughter or son of Israel is to be a cult prostitute."
• 1 Kings 14:24 (BSB): "There were even male cult prostitutes in the land; they imitated all the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites."
• 1 Kings 15:12 (BSB): "He banished the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made."

These passages reflect the ongoing struggle within Israel to maintain religious purity and resist the influence of surrounding pagan cultures. The eradication of קָדֵשׁ individuals was part of broader reforms aimed at restoring true worship and adherence to the laws given by God.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃ בקדשים׃ הַקְּדֵשִׁ֔ים הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים הַקָּדֵ֔שׁ הקדש הקדשים קָדֵ֖שׁ קדש bakkedeShim baq·qə·ḏê·šîm baqqəḏêšîm hakkaDesh hakkedeShim haq·qā·ḏêš haq·qə·ḏê·šîm haqqāḏêš haqqəḏêšîm kaDesh qā·ḏêš qāḏêš

Englishman's Concordance

Deuteronomy 23:17
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ יִהְיֶ֥ה קָדֵ֖שׁ מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
NAS: of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor
KJV: of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons
INT: nor shall be a cult of the sons of Israel

1 Kings 14:24
HEB: וְגַם־ קָדֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֣ה בָאָ֑רֶץ
NAS: There were also male cult prostitutes in the land.
KJV: And there were also sodomites in the land:
INT: were also male become the land

1 Kings 15:12
HEB: וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ
NAS: He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land
KJV: And he took away the sodomites out of the land,
INT: put the male from the land

1 Kings 22:46
HEB: וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ הַקָּדֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁאַ֔ר
NAS: The remnant of the sodomites who
KJV: And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained
INT: the remnant of the sodomites who remained

2 Kings 23:7
HEB: אֶת־ בָּתֵּ֣י הַקְּדֵשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית
NAS: the houses of the [male] cult prostitutes which
KJV: the houses of the sodomites, that [were] by the house
INT: broke the houses of the cult which the house

Job 36:14
HEB: נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃
NAS: And their life [perishes] among the cult prostitutes.
KJV: and their life [is] among the unclean.
INT: They and their life the cult

6 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6945
6 Occurrences

baq·qə·ḏê·šîm — 1 Occ.
haq·qā·ḏêš — 1 Occ.
haq·qə·ḏê·šîm — 2 Occ.
qā·ḏêš — 2 Occ.