Lexical Summary
miqdash or miqqedash: Sanctuary, holy place
Original Word:מִקְדָּשׁ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:miqdash
Pronunciation:mik-dawsh'
Phonetic Spelling:(mik-dawsh')
KJV: chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary
NASB:sanctuary, sanctuaries, holy place, holy, holy places, places, sacred part
Word Origin:[fromH6942 (קָדַשׁ - consecrate)]
1. a consecrated thing or place, especially, a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylum
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary
Or miqqdash (Exod. 15:17) {mik-ked-awsh'}; fromqadash; a consecrated thing or place, especially, a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylum -- chapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary.
see HEBREWqadash
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
qodeshDefinitiona sacred place, sanctuary
NASB Translationholy (1), holy place (2), holy places (1), places (1), sacred part (1), sanctuaries (5), sanctuary (65).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Amos 7:9 ; —
Exodus 25:8 +;
Exodus 15:17 (Ges
§ 20h Kö
ii. 1, 471); construct
Leviticus 16:33 +; suffix
Leviticus 20:3 +, etc.,
Numbers 18:29 (Kö
ii. 1, 97); plural
Ezekiel 21:7, construct
Jeremiah 51:51 2t.; suffix
Leviticus 21:23;
Ezekiel 7:24 (on anomalous pointing see Ew
§ 215 a Hi-Sm; but probably
Participle was in mind, Ges§ 93oo Anm.; < read ); etc.; —
old Israelsanctuaries: of at ShechemJoshua 24:26 (E); probably alsoExodus 15:17 (i.e. Shiloh); plural of sanct. to be destroyed byLeviticus 26:31 (H); in Northern IsraelAmos 7:9; vAmos 7:13 (Bethel).
Isaiah 16:12 plural of TyreEzekiel 28:18 (Co Toy [not Berthol Krae] readthy sanctity).
Exodus 25:8 (P) +;Leviticus 16:33, pluralLeviticus 21:23.
1 Chronicles 22:19;Isaiah 63:18;Psalm 74:7 +; 2Chronicles 36:17,Ezekiel 48:21,Daniel 8:11; plural of many sacred places in and about the temple.Jeremiah 51:51;Psalm 73:17. Doubtful are:Psalm 68:36 (de sanctuario; SS );Ezekiel 21:7 ( Co Berthol Buhl ; Toy Krae ; "" );Ezekiel 45:4b (Co, after , []; Toy [], compare Krae ).
will become for his peopleEzekiel 11:16 (BrMP 268), so apparentlyIsaiah 8:14 (but gloss Du CheHpt Marti; LagSemitic i. 16 i.e.stumbling-block [he compare Syriac
strike]).
of s future sanct.,Ezekiel 37:26,28. — () ()Numbers 18:29even the hallowed part there of AV RV, but this not the meaning of ; Ew§ 255 c assumes in this sense; < read (see ), being dittograph
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Theological Essenceמִקְדָּשׁ signifies the divinely designated “sanctuary,” the sphere set apart for the manifest presence of the Holy One. Whether tent, temple, or eschatological dwelling, it is the earthly locus where heaven meets earth, holiness confronts sin, and covenant fellowship is experienced.
Distribution and Frequency in Scripture
Miqdash appears about seventy-four times across the Law, Prophets, and Writings. The term spans Israel’s journey from the Red Sea hymn (Exodus 15:17) through the Babylonian exile (Lamentations 1:10) and into prophetic visions of restored glory (Ezekiel 37:26-28). Its spread testifies to an unbroken biblical theme: God’s relentless intention to dwell with His people.
The Sanctuary in Israel’s Wilderness Worship
The inaugural command, “And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8), anchors the tabernacle in divine initiative. Situated at the camp’s center (Numbers 3:38), the miqdash hosted the Ark of the Covenant and the atoning ministry of the high priest (Leviticus 16:33). Every rite—from daily incense to annual propitiation—declared both God’s nearness and His separateness.
The Temple on Mount Zion
Solomon’s temple transferred the sanctuary motif from portable tent to permanent house. Dedication prayers intertwine transcendence and immanence: “Arise, O LORD God, to Your resting place—You and the ark of Your strength” (2 Chronicles 6:41). Psalms celebrate the structure’s theological meaning: “We have thought on Your loving devotion, O God, in the midst of Your temple” (Psalm 48:9). Defilement through idolatry (Ezekiel 23:38-39) and ultimate destruction (2 Chronicles 36:17) expose human sin, yet even judgment preserves the sanctuary’s witness to divine righteousness.
Prophetic Visions of a Future Sanctuary
The prophets look beyond ruins toward a perfected miqdash. Ezekiel envisions a temple whose measurements eclipse Solomon’s, capped by the promise, “My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Ezekiel 37:27). Daniel pleads, “Cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary” (Daniel 9:17), linking national restoration to renewed worship. Haggai foretells greater glory (Haggai 2:9), and Zechariah speaks of a worldwide pilgrimage to a sanctified Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:16-20).
Sanctuary as a Symbol of God’s Presence
Because miqdash embodies God’s indwelling, its holiness reaches beyond architecture.Psalm 73 shifts perspective when the psalmist “entered the sanctuary of God” (Psalm 73:17), finding clarity in covenant faithfulness. Micah warns that ethical corruption profanes the sanctuary (Micah 3:11), showing that devotion cannot be divorced from obedience.
Spiritual and Eschatological Dimensions
The sanctuary language anticipates New Covenant realities. Jeremiah’s promise, “I will set My sanctuary among them forevermore” (paralleled inEzekiel 37:26), blossoms into Revelation’s climax: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3). The Old Testament shadow reaches fulfillment when “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22). Thus miqdash functions typologically, directing faith toward consummated communion.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus identifies Himself with the sanctuary: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). His incarnate body becomes the ultimate miqdash—God with us—while His atoning death and resurrection secure unfettered access (Hebrews 10:19-22). Consequently, believers are called “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), an extension of the sanctified presence wrought by Christ.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Worship: Reverence governs corporate gatherings, mirroring the tabernacle’s ordered service.
2. Holiness: Personal purity is demanded of those indwelt by the Spirit; moral compromise defiles the sanctuary of the heart (1 Corinthians 3:17).
3. Mission: The sanctuary motif drives evangelism, anticipating the day when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” (Habakkuk 2:14).
4. Hope: In suffering, believers echo the Psalmist—“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary” (Psalm 77:13)—finding assurance that divine purposes unfold from within the holy place.
Key Occurrences for Further Study
Exodus 15:17;Exodus 25:8;Leviticus 16:33;Numbers 10:21;Joshua 24:26;1 Chronicles 22:19;2 Chronicles 29:21;Psalm 68:35;Psalm 96:6;Isaiah 8:14;Jeremiah 17:12;Ezekiel 11:16;Ezekiel 37:26-28;Daniel 8:13-14;Joel 3:17;Haggai 2:9.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ בְּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י בְּמִקְדָּשֽׁוֹ׃ בְמִקְדָּשִׁי֙ במקדש במקדשו׃ במקדשי הַמִּקְדָּ֑שׁ הַמִּקְדָּ֔שׁ הַמִּקְדָּ֖שׁ הַמִּקְדָּ֤שׁ הַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃ הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ המקדש המקדש׃ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁ֖י וּמִקְדְּשֵׁ֥י וּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ וּמִקְדָּ֖שׁ וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י וממקדשי ומקדש ומקדשי לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ לְמִקְדָּ֣שׁ לְמִקְדָּשׁוֹ֙ לַמִּקְדָּ֖שׁ לַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃ למקדש למקדש׃ למקדשו מִֽמִּקְדָּ֫שֶׁ֥יךָ מִקְּדָ֕שׁ מִקְדְּשֵׁ֖י מִקְדְּשֵׁי־ מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶ֑ם מִקְדְּשׁ֖וֹ מִקְדַּ֣שׁ מִקְדַּ֨שׁ מִקְדַּשׁ֙ מִקְדַּשׁ־ מִקְדָּ֑שׁ מִקְדָּ֖שׁ מִקְדָּשְׁךָ֖ מִקְדָּשִׁ֑י מִקְדָּשִׁ֑ים מִקְדָּשִׁ֔י מִקְדָּשִׁ֗י מִקְדָּשִׁ֛י מִקְדָּשִׁ֣י מִקְדָּשִׁי֙ מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָ׃ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑יךָ מִקְדָּשֶׁ֑ךָ מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י מִקְדָּשָׁ֔הּ מִקְדָּשָׁ֔ם מִקְדָּשֽׁוֹ׃ מִקְדָּשׁ֑וֹ מִקְדָּשׁ֔וֹ מִקְדָּשׁ֛וֹ ממקדשיך מקדש מקדש־ מקדשה מקדשו מקדשו׃ מקדשי מקדשי־ מקדשיך מקדשיכם מקדשים מקדשך מקדשך׃ מקדשם מקדשנו׃ bə·miq·dā·šî ḇə·miq·dā·šî bə·miq·dā·šōw bə·miq·daš bemikDash bemikdaShi bemikdaSho bəmiqdaš bəmiqdāšî ḇəmiqdāšî bəmiqdāšōw ham·miq·dāš hammikDash hammiqdāš lam·miq·dāš lammikDash lammiqdāš lə·miq·dā·šōw lə·miq·dāš lemikDash lemikdaSho ləmiqdāš ləmiqdāšōw mikDash mikdaShah mikdaShai mikdaSham mikdaShecha mikdaSheicha mikdaShenu mikdaShi mikdaShim mikdaSho mikdeshei mikdesheiChem mikdeSho mikkeDash mim·miq·dā·še·ḵā mimikDaSheicha mimmiqdāšeḵā miq·dā·šāh miq·dā·šām miq·dā·šay miq·dā·še·ḵā miq·dā·šə·ḵā miq·dā·šê·nū miq·dā·šî miq·dā·šîm miq·dā·šōw miq·daš miq·dāš miq·daš- miq·də·šê miq·də·šê- miq·də·šê·ḵem miq·də·šōw miq·qə·ḏāš miqdaš miqdāš miqdaš- miqdāšāh miqdāšām miqdāšay miqdāšeḵā miqdāšəḵā miqdāšênū miqdāšî miqdāšîm miqdāšōw miqdəšê miqdəšê- miqdəšêḵem miqdəšōw miqqəḏāš ū·mim·miq·dā·šî ū·miq·dā·šî ū·miq·daš ū·miq·dāš ū·miq·də·šê umikDash umikdaShi umikdeShei umimikdaShi ūmimmiqdāšî ūmiqdaš ūmiqdāš ūmiqdāšî ūmiqdəšê vemikdaShi
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