קַדִּישׁ (qad.dish)

The adjective qaddish means "holy" or "set apart," appearing six times in the Hebrew Bible, almost exclusively within the book of Daniel. In these contexts, it describes beings or entities that belong to a sacred realm distinct from the ordinary world. The term is most frequently applied to angels, highlighting their status as heavenly messengers who are separate from human frailty and earthly corruption.

While "holy" often implies moral purity in other biblical texts, here the emphasis rests on ontological separation. These figures are not merely good; they are fundamentally different in nature and origin. This usage underscores the vast gap between the divine court and the earthly kingdoms that Daniel describes, reminding readers that true authority and knowledge come from a sphere beyond human reach.

Translators typically render qaddish as "holy" when modifying angels, preserving the sense of otherness. The word’s limited occurrence outside of Daniel suggests it was a specialized term for this specific heavenly context in later biblical literature, reinforcing the unique theological vision of the book where angelic beings play a central role in revealing God’s ultimate plan.