Lexical Summary
qedeshah: Temple prostitute, cult prostitute
Original Word:קְדֵשָׁה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:qdeshah
Pronunciation:keh-deh-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling:(ked-ay-shaw')
KJV: harlot, whore
Word Origin:[feminine ofH6945 (קָדֵשׁ - temple prostitute)]
1. a female devotee (i.e. prostitute)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
harlot, whore
Feminine ofqadesh; a female devotee (i.e. Prostitute) -- harlot, whore.
see HEBREWqadesh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
qadesh, q.v.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Biblical UsageThe feminine noun קְדֵשָׁה (qedēshāh) designates a woman consecrated to cultic prostitution within the fertility rites of Canaanite religion. The terminology underscores the tragic inversion of true holiness: what is “set apart” is devoted not to the LORD but to idolatrous worship and sexual immorality.
Occurrences in Narrative and Law
•Genesis 38:21–22 presents the qedēshāh as an ostensibly recognized figure along the road to Enaim. Judah’s search for her reveals how easily covenant people could blur moral lines when mingling with Canaanite practice.
•Deuteronomy 23:17 legislates, “No Israelite man or woman is to be a cult prostitute”, firmly separating Israel’s worship from surrounding pagan rites. The same verse uses qedēshāh for the female and qādēsh for the male, assigning equal censure. The law pairs morality with theology: sexual purity protects the sanctity of the LORD’s dwelling among His people.
Prophetic Exposure of Spiritual Unfaithfulness
Hosea 4:14 widens the semantic field, using qedēshāh to illustrate national apostasy: “I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with cult prostitutes; so a people without understanding will come to ruin”. Here the prostitution is both literal and metaphorical, portraying Israel’s breach of covenant fidelity.
Cultural and Religious Background
Ancient Near Eastern fertility cults employed sexual rites to secure agricultural bounty, weaving immorality into worship. By calling these women “qedēshāh,” the culture claimed a counterfeit sanctity. Biblical authors deliberately retain the term to unmask the perversion: sacredness, wrenched from its true object, becomes profane.
Theological Themes
1. Holiness Reclaimed: Scripture insists that genuine holiness is inseparable from the LORD’s character (Leviticus 19:2). Qedēshāh exposes humanity’s tendency to substitute sensual experience for spiritual obedience.
2. Covenant Integrity: The prohibition in Deuteronomy locates sexual conduct within covenant parameters; to violate them is to “profane the name of your God” (Leviticus 19:29).
3. Idolatry and Immorality Intertwined: Hosea merges sexual and spiritual treachery, warning that tolerance of cult prostitution invites national catastrophe.
Ministry and Discipleship Implications
• Guarding Worship Purity: Modern ministry must discern contemporary equivalents of syncretism that promise fulfillment yet undermine holiness.
• Sexual Ethics and Witness: The qedēshāh texts call the church to uphold chastity as a testimony to God’s exclusive covenant love (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).
• Compassion with Truth: Judah’s encounter with Tamar demonstrates how personal failure can still be met with divine redemption, prefiguring grace available through Christ (Matthew 1:3).
Relationship to Parallel Masculine Term
The masculine qādēsh (Deuteronomy 23:17;1 Kings 14:24) confirms that cult prostitution transcended gender. Scripture confronts both sexes equally, affirming a holistic vision of purity.
Conclusion
קְדֵשָׁה stands as a stark reminder that holiness cannot be severed from obedience. By exposing the emptiness of pagan substitutes, the term invites God’s people to pursue sanctification rooted in covenant love, ultimately fulfilled in the Bridegroom who “loved the church and gave Himself up for her, to sanctify her” (Ephesians 5:25–26).
Forms and Transliterations
הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה הַקְּדֵשׁ֖וֹת הקדשה הקדשות קְדֵשָֽׁה׃ קְדֵשָׁ֖ה קדשה קדשה׃ hakkedeShah hakkedeShot haq·qə·ḏê·šāh haq·qə·ḏê·šō·wṯ haqqəḏêšāh haqqəḏêšōwṯ kedeShah qə·ḏê·šāh qəḏêšāh
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