Hebrew word · H6946

קָדֵשׁ

kadesh

Kadesh

A place name from the root q-d-sh, "holy, set apart." It probably means "holy place" or "sanctuary." It is also called Kadesh-barnea (Num 32:8; 34:4) and En-mishpat, "Spring of Judgment" (Gen 14:7), names suggesting an old holy spring where disputes were settled.

Appears 18 times in 18 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Kadesh = "holy"

a city in the extreme south of Judah

same as 'Kedesh' and 'Kadesh-barnea'

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Numbers 20:1

Range of meaning

A place name from the root q-d-sh, "holy, set apart." It probably means "holy place" or "sanctuary." It is also called Kadesh-barnea (Num 32:8; 34:4) and En-mishpat, "Spring of Judgment" (Gen 14:7), names suggesting an old holy spring where disputes were settled.

Against the English

All English versions transliterate it as "Kadesh," so readers miss that the name itself says "holy."

Used elsewhere in the period

Kadesh is usually identified with the springs of 'Ein el-Qudeirat (with 'Ein Qadeis nearby) in northeastern Sinai, where an Iron Age fortress has been excavated. Josephus and Eusebius place it farther east, near Petra. The Aramaic Targums commonly render Kadesh as Reqem, a name connected with Petra. The scouts were sent out from Kadesh (Num 13:26), and Deut 1:46 says Israel stayed there "many days."

From the study of Numbers 20:16

Range of meaning

Place name, "holy (place)", from the root q-d-sh, "holy, set apart". Also called Kadesh-barnea (Num 32:8; Deut 1:2, 19) and linked with "En-mishpat" ("spring of judgment", Gen 14:7) and the waters of Meribah (Num 20:13; 27:14).

Against the English

English versions just transliterate it, so the "holy" in the name is lost. That loss is ironic here: in this same chapter Moses and Aaron fail to treat God as holy at Kadesh (20:12–13).

Used elsewhere in the period

Usually identified with the springs around ʿAin el-Qudeirat and ʿAin Qedeis in the northeastern Sinai. A fortress there dates to the Iron Age, later than the traditional date of the wilderness period. The name may reflect an old sanctuary at the oasis.

From the study of Numbers 27:14

Range of meaning

A place name meaning 'holy (place)' or 'sanctuary', from the root qdš. It refers to Kadesh-barnea, a group of springs on the border of the Negev and northern Sinai, usually identified with the area around ʿEin el-Qudeirat.

Against the English

Every English version transliterates it as 'Kadesh', so the link with 'to treat me as holy' earlier in the verse is lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 14:7 gives an older name: 'En-mishpat, that is Kadesh', meaning 'Spring of Judgment'. It was Israel's main base in the wilderness (Deut 1:46). The spies returned there (Num 13:26), Miriam died there (Num 20:1), and messengers were sent to Edom from there (Num 20:14).

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 3

  1. Genesis 14:7 קָדֵ֔שׁ [is] Kadesh

    Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

  2. Genesis 16:14 קָדֵ֖שׁ Kadesh

    Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

  3. Genesis 20:1 קָדֵ֖שׁ Kadesh

    Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,

    Here: Kadesh(-barnea), an oasis in the far south (usually located at ʿEin el-Qudeirat in northeastern Sinai). The name comes from the root for 'holy' and may point to an old sanctuary there. It marks the eastern end of Abraham's range.

Numbers · 8

  1. Numbers 13:26 קָדֵ֑שָׁה Kadesh towards

    and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.

    Here: An oasis base on Canaan's southern edge. The ending on the word means 'toward' it, and it narrows the broad region of Paran to the exact spot. The name appears to come from the Hebrew root for 'holy', though this verse makes nothing of that.

  2. Numbers 20:1 בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ in Kadesh

    In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

    Here: "At Kadesh," an oasis whose name means "holy [place]." The name prepares for the wordplay of vv. 12–13, where Moses and Aaron fail to treat God as holy (qadash) and God shows himself holy there.

  3. Numbers 20:14 מִקָּדֵ֖שׁ from Kadesh

    From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

    Here: 'From Kadesh', the oasis region south of Canaan where Israel was camped, close to Edom's edge (20:16). The name is built on the root for 'holy', the same root as 'He showed His holiness' in the verse just before.

  4. Numbers 20:16 בְקָדֵ֔שׁ [are] in Kadesh

    and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

    Here: "In Kadesh": Kadesh(-barnea), the oasis base where Israel spent much of the wilderness period (Num 13:26; 20:1). The name comes from the root for "holy".

  5. Numbers 20:22 מִקָּדֵ֑שׁ from Kadesh

    After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

  6. Numbers 27:14 קָדֵ֖שׁ Kadesh

    for when the congregation contended in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight regarding the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.

    Here: Kadesh (Kadesh-barnea), the main oasis camp of the wilderness years. The name means 'holy (place)', from the same root as lehaqdisheni. The leaders failed to 'make God holy' at the place called 'Holy'. Adding 'Kadesh' also keeps this Meribah apart from the earlier one at Rephidim (Exod 17:7).

  7. Numbers 33:36 קָדֵֽשׁ׃ [is] Kadesh

    They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.

  8. Numbers 33:37 מִקָּדֵ֑שׁ from Kadesh

    They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom.

Deuteronomy · 2

  1. Deuteronomy 1:46 בְקָדֵ֖שׁ at Kadesh

    For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.

  2. Deuteronomy 32:51 קָדֵ֖שׁ Kadesh

    For at the waters of Meribah-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.

    Here: The oasis region of Kadesh, whose name sounds like "holy place." It sets up the wordplay with "you did not treat me as holy" a few words later.

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 11:16 קָדֵֽשָׁה׃ Kadesh towards

    But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

  2. Judges 11:17 בְּקָדֵֽשׁ׃ at Kadesh

    Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 29:8 קָדֵֽשׁ׃ Kadesh

    The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

Ezekiel · 2

  1. Ezekiel 47:19 קָדֵ֔שׁ Kadesh

    On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

  2. Ezekiel 48:28 קָדֵ֔שׁ Kadesh

    The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt and out to the Great Sea.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.