Holy

Lore & Background

Holiness first appears when God commands Moses to remove his shoes because the ground at the burning bush is holy (Exodus 3:5). This establishes that holiness is a quality of a location where God is present. Later, the LORD declares that Israel will be a "kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), extending holiness to the entire people. The Sabbath is repeatedly called holy, a day of rest and sacred convocation (Exodus 16:23; Exodus 20:8; Exodus 12:16). In the tabernacle instructions, holiness becomes a graded concept: there is a "holy place" and a "most holy" place separated by a veil (Exodus 26:33). The altar is made "most holy" (Exodus 29:37), and anything that touches it becomes holy. The priests wear "holy garments" (Exodus 28:2) and a gold plate inscribed "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" (Exodus 28:36). The anointing oil is also holy (Exodus 30:25, 31), and consecrated food must not be eaten by strangers or left until morning (Exodus 29:33-34).

Reader's Guide

The passages portray holiness as both a divine attribute and a transferred status. God is inherently holy (Exodus 15:11), and His presence makes locations, objects, and people holy by contact or command. Holiness requires separation: the ground is not to be approached casually (Exodus 3:5), the Sabbath is set apart from work (Exodus 20:8), and the most holy place is divided from the holy place (Exodus 26:33). Holiness also imposes obligations: the nation must be holy men (Exodus 22:31), priests must wear proper garments to avoid death (Exodus 28:35, 43), and consecrated items cannot be treated as common (Exodus 29:34). The phrase "most holy" appears for the altar (Exodus 29:37), the anointing oil (Exodus 30:29), and the mercy seat location (Exodus 26:34), indicating degrees of sanctity. Holiness is not merely symbolic but carries real consequences—touching the altar makes one holy (Exodus 29:37), and improper handling of holy things brings iniquity (Exodus 28:38).

Did You Know?

• The first occurrence of 'holy' in Exodus is applied to ground, not a person or object (Exodus 3:5).
• The high priest's crown bore the phrase 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' (Exodus 28:36).
• Anything that touches the altar becomes holy (Exodus 29:37).
• The anointing oil is explicitly called 'holy' and is not to be used for common purposes (Exodus 30:25, 31).

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Holiness is the quality of times, thoughts and things that are set apart from the world to be devoted to a religious purpose." — Holy "Ludwig Feuerbach, Introduction to The Essence of Christianity (1843), Z. Hanfi, trans., in The Fiery Brook (1972), p. 126." — Holy "Holy poverty … is the foundation and guardian of all virtues." — Holy "Immanuel Kant, Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone, Book IV, Part 1, Section 1, “The Christian religion as a natural religion”." — Holy