ἍΓΙΟΣ: ἅγιος, -α, ον [ (< τό ἅγός, religious awe; ἅζω, to venerate), [in LXX chiefly for קֹ֫דֶשׁ;] ] primarily, dedicated to the gods, sacred (Hdt.; rare in Att., never in Hom., Hes. and Trag., who use ἁγνός), hence, holy, characteristic of God, separated to God, worthy of veneration. 1. . Its highest application is to God himself, in his purity, majesty, and glory: Lk 1:49, Jo 17:11, Re 4:8. Hence (a) . of things and places which have a claim to reverence as sacred to God, e.g. the Temple: Mt 24:15, He 9:1; (b) . of persons employed by him, as angels: I Th 3:13; prophets, Lk 1:70; apostles, Eph 3:5.
2. . Applied to persons as separated to God's service: (a) . of Christ, Mk 1:24, Jo 6:69, Ac 4:30; (b) . of Christians, Ac 9:13, Ro 1:7, He 6:10, Re 5:8.
3. . In the moral sense of sharing God's purity: Mk 6:20, Jo 17:11, Ac 3:14, Re 3:7.
4. . Of pure, clean sacrifices and offerings: I Co 7:14, Eph 1:4.
SYN.: ἁγνός, pure, both in ceremonial and spiritual sense; ἱερός (sacer), sacred, that which is inviolable because of its (external) relation to God; ὅσιος (sanctus as opp. to nefas), that which is based on everlasting ordinances of right. (Cf. Tr., Syn., §lxxxviii; DB, ii, 399 f.; Cremer, 34, 594-601; MM, VGT, s.v.)