God is holy, separate from His creation by His very nature. To be holy literally means to be cut off or separate, and denotes apartness, the separation of a person or thing from the common or profane to a divine use.

Earl D. Radmacher, general editor; Ronald B. Allen, Old Testament editor,

Pfeiffer, Charles F., Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975.

Holiness may refer here to the quality of distinctiveness or separateness that God desired in Israel. The abominable unfaithfulness that profaned Israel’s holiness was intermarriage with pagans. Such marriages had been expressly forbidden because they would lead the people into idolatry (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:3-4; Josh. 23:12-13). Intermarrying was a big problem after the return from the Exile (cf. Ezra 9:1-2, 10-12; Neh. 13:23-27). The Israelites were supposed to marry within their own nation. Failures to do so were acts of unfaithfulness among themselves as well as to God. They involved both a disregard for the nation’s corporate nature and disobedience to God.

Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1983, 1985.

The covenant relationship is expressed in the formula: “I am your God-you are my people” (Jer 31:33; Hos 2:23); cf. the formulary of marriage and divorce (Hos 1:9).19. a people sacred to the Lord: The holiness, that is, apartness, derives from the new bond created by the covenant.

God is the all-holy. Holiness is the essential quality of God; its vast range of meaning indicates his otherness, utter transcendence, complete apartness from anything sinful or merely finite.

D N Freedman, JBL 79 [1960] 156; R Abba, JBL 80 [1961] 320-28

Pi. 1. set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate: a. places: Sinai, altar, etc., tabern., etc.; tent of meeting; place of sacrifice; gate.??

Hithp. 1. keep oneself apart from unclean things. 2. of God, cause himself to be hallowed.

from 6942; TWOT - 1990a; n m GK - 7731 { vd,qo1)apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness 1a)apartness, sacredness, holiness

1a1)of God 1a2)of places 1a3)of things 1b)set-apartness, separateness

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, 1995.

Qodesh,qadesh,qadosh, Heb.) The basic idea in this family of words is “separateness.” When applied to God, “holy” denotes His uniqueness and separateness from everything earthly and wrong; when applied to man,—those who are redeemed by the blood are to live separated and holy lives (cf. 1 Pet. 1:15–19).

include the “Holiness Code” (Lev. 17–26). Holiness or separateness was to be a way of life, involving commitment to the Lord in every aspect. Instructions concerning separation are included (Lev. 17:1–22:33). God’s people were to commit themselves uniquely to Him and to separate themselves from the pagan practices of their neighbors.

Balaam spoke an important truth about Israel: the separateness of Israel from other nations in a physical and spiritual sense was absolutely essential (Deut. 7:6). Throughout history God has proven that those who belong to Him are powerful.

Became a central concern (Tob. 4:12-13; T. Levi 9:10; 14:6). Other areas in which separateness was particularly apparent include food (Dan. 1:8-15; Tob. 1:10-12), circumcision (1 Macc. 1:11-15), and avoidance of the idolatry characteristic of Gentile society (1 Macc. 3:48). 1 Maccabees 1 presents in bold relief the contrast between life according to Israelite and Gentile law and custom.

Is a most important doctrine in the teaching of Isaiah. Yahweh’s holiness is an expression of his separateness from the corruption of his people. He is the Holy One of Israel The redirected mind will focus on God’s priority, holiness. At its heart holiness means separateness: