Kedushah
/kəˈduːʃə/noun
A Jewish liturgical prayer or declaration of God’s holiness, especially within the Amidah.
Did you know?The central “Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh” in the Kedushah echoes Isaiah’s vision of seraphim proclaiming God’s holiness before the divine throne.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh)
“Holy, set apart, consecrated”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קָדַשׁ (qadash)
“To be holy or set apart for sacred use”
Second Temple period
Hebrew
קְדֻשָּׁה (qedushah)
“Holiness or sanctification”
Late Antiquity
Rabbinic Hebrew
קְדוּשָׁה (kedushah)
“A liturgical sanctification proclaiming divine holiness”
Modern English
English
kedushah
“A Jewish prayer or liturgical passage celebrating God’s holiness”