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(b) It is used of men and things (see below) in so far as they are devoted to God.
Indeed the quality, as attributed to God, is often presented in a way which involves divine
demands upon the conduct of believers. These are called
, “saints,” i.e.,
“sanctified” or “holy” ones.
This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men; yet
believers are called to sanctify themselves (consistently with their calling, 2 Tim. 1:9),
cleansing themselves from all defilement, forsaking sin, living a “holy” manner of life, 1
Pet. 1:15; 2 Pet. 3:11, and experiencing fellowship with God in His holiness. The saints
are thus figuratively spoken of as “a holy temple”, 1 Cor. 3:17 (a local church); Eph. 2:21
(the whole Church), cp. 5:27; “a holy priesthood,” 1 Pet. 2:5; “a holy nation,” 2:9.
“It is evident that
and its kindred words … express something more and higher
than
, sacred, outwardly associated with God; … something more than
,
worthy, honorable; something more than
, pure, free from defilement.
B
is …
more comprehensive.… It is characteristically godlikeness” (G. B. Stevens, in Hastings’
0 ! 4 !
).
The adjective is also used of the outer part of the tabernacle, Heb. 9:2 (
RV
, “the holy
place”); of the inner sanctuary, 9:3,
RV
, “the Holy of Holies”; 9:4, “a holy place,”
RV
; v.
25 (plural), of the presence of God in heaven, where there are not two compartments as in
the tabernacle, all being “the holy place”; 9:8, 12 (neuter plural); 10:19, “the holy place,”
RV
(
KJV
, “the holiest,” neut. plural), see
SANCTUARY
; of the city of Jerusalem. Rev. 11:2;
its temple, Acts 6:13; of the faith. Jude 20; of the greetings of saints, 1 Cor. 16:20; of
angels, e.g., Mark 8:38; of apostles and prophets, Eph. 3:5; of the future heavenly
Jerusalem, Rev. 21:2, 10; 22:19.
2.
(
6
, 3741), akin to A, No. 4, signifies “religiously right, holy,” as
opposed to what is unrighteous or polluted. It is commonly associated with righteousness
(see A, No. 4). It is used “of God, Rev. 15:4; 16:5; and of the body of the Lord Jesus,
Acts 2:27; 13:35, citations from Ps. 16:10, Sept.; Heb. 7:26; and of certain promises
made to David, which could be fulfilled only in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Acts
13:34. In 1 Tim. 2:8 and Titus 1:8, it is used of the character of Christians.… In the Sept.,
frequently represents the Hebrew word
, which varies in meaning between
‘holy’ and ‘gracious,’ or ‘merciful;’ cf. Ps. 16:10 with 145:17.”*
Notes:
(1) For Acts 13:34, see the
RV
and the
KJV
marg.; the
RV
in Rev. 16:5, “Thou
Holy One,” translates the most authentic mss. (
KJV
“and shalt be”). (2) For
(see
No. 1), subserving a sacred purpose, translated “holy” in 2 Tim. 3:15,
KJV
(of the
Scriptures), see
SACRED
.
C. Adverb.
(
3 &
, 3743), akin to A, No. 4, and B, No. 2, “holily,” i.e., pure from evil
conduct, and observant of God’s will, is used in 1 Thess. 2:10, of the conduct of the
apostle and his fellow missionaries.¶
D. Verb.
* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine p.64.