Original Word: קֶדֶשׁ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Qedesh
Pronunciation: keh'-desh
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-desh)
KJV: Kedesh
NASB: Kedesh
Word Origin: [from H6942 (קָדַשׁ - consecrate)]

1. a sanctum
2. Kedesh, the name of four places in Israel

Kedesh

From qadash; a sanctum; Kedesh, the name of four places in Palestine -- Kedesh.

see HEBREW qadash

Word Origin
from the same as qodesh
Definition
"sanctuary," the name of several places in Isr.
NASB Translation
Kedesh (11), Kedesh-naphtali* (1).

קֶ֫דֶשׁ proper name, of a location (sanctuary) Καδης:

1 in Galilee Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:32 (P), 1 Chronicles 6:61; Naphtali Joshua 19:37 (P), נַפְתָּלִי ׳ק Judges 4:6; = קֶדֶשׁ alone Joshua 12:22 (D; with king); Judges 4:9,10 + Judges 4:11 (where possibly different place on sea of Galilee, see GFM^{Judg 117, 119}), also 2 Kings 15:29; Tel Amarna †idši; Egyptian †dšë WMM^{As.u.Eur.173,217}; modern Kades, northwest of Lake Huleh; see Rob^{BR iii. 366 ff.} Survey^{WP i. 226 ff.} Buhl^{Geogr. 235 f.}

2 Κεδες: city of refuge in Issachar 1 Chronicles 6:57 = קִשְׁיוֺן Joshua 21:28; possibly Tel Abu Kudeis [Survey^{WP i. 69}], approximately 2 miles southeast from Lejjun (Megiddo): compare Buhl^{Geogr. 209.}

3 Καδης: in southern Judah; Joshua 15:23 (P) (= II. קָדֵשׁ

1 ? if so, then Masoretic distinction from קֶדֶשׁ in the north was here neglected).

Name and Thematic Overtones

Qedesh (often transliterated Kedesh) derives from the Hebrew root associated with holiness and consecration. Even without dwelling on etymology, Scripture consistently presents these towns as places set apart—whether for refuge, priestly service, or covenantal conflict—underscoring the Lord’s intent to sanctify His people and His land.

Geographical Distribution

1. Kedesh in Galilee: Located in the hill country of Naphtali, west of the upper Jordan, near the modern village of Qedesh on the border of Lebanon.
2. Kedesh in the Negev: Listed among the towns in the southern wilderness allotment to Judah (Joshua 15:23).
3. A probable third Kedesh in Issachar’s vicinity appears in some textual lists (1 Chronicles 6:76), though many scholars see this as either a scribal duplication of the Galilean site or a border settlement shared by tribes (cf. Joshua 19:37).

A City of Refuge

“Then they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali… to be a city of refuge for the manslayer” (Joshua 20:7). As one of the six divinely appointed sanctuaries, Kedesh modeled Yahweh’s concern for both justice and mercy. While the avenger of blood waited outside, the fugitive within received due process before the congregation—an anticipation of the gospel pattern in which sinners flee to Christ, the ultimate Refuge.

Levitical Allocation

“To the Gershonites … they gave Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands” (Joshua 21:32; 1 Chronicles 6:72). Situated on the northern frontier, this Levitical city served as a spiritual outpost. The presence of the Gershonites ensured teaching of the Law in a region prone to Canaanite influence, reminding Israel that holiness must be guarded even at the borders.

Conquests under Joshua

“Kedesh—one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel—one” (Joshua 12:22). The fall of Kedesh’s Canaanite king testifies to the completeness of the conquest: no pocket of resistance, however remote, could withstand the covenant Commander. The victory prepared the town for its later sacred functions.

Deborah, Barak, and the Battle with Sisera

Deborah summoned Barak “from Kedesh in Naphtali” (Judges 4:6). The narrative repeats the town’s name four times (Judges 4:6, 9–11), anchoring the northern deliverance in this sanctified setting. From Kedesh Barak mustered ten thousand men; from Kedesh Deborah advanced; near Kedesh the Kenite Heber pitched his tent, setting the stage for Jael’s decisive blow. Thus the town stands as a symbol of covenant faithfulness rising out of apparent weakness.

Assyrian Captivity

“In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and captured… Kedesh” (2 Kings 15:29). The seizure and deportation of Kedesh’s inhabitants fulfilled the prophetic warnings against idolatry. The holy city, once a refuge, became a byword of exile—yet even this judgment affirmed the reliability of God’s Word.

Patterns of Holiness and Apostasy

Kedesh oscillates between consecration and compromise. As a city of refuge it mirrors grace; as a Levitical center it exemplifies worship; yet under Assyria it illustrates the cost of covenant breach. The oscillation invites every generation to hear the call: “Be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).

Ministry Reflections

• Gospel Refuge: Just as the manslayer’s safety depended on swift flight to Kedesh, so sinners must flee without delay to the cross.
• Borderland Mission: The Gershonites at Kedesh model pastoral presence in spiritually marginal places—urban edges, remote villages, secular campuses—wherever holiness must be proclaimed.
• Vigilance against Drift: Kedesh fell when Israel tolerated idolatry. Churches likewise lose their lampstands when they neglect discipline and doctrinal fidelity (Revelation 2:5).
• Victorious Faith: From Kedesh Barak marched to impossible odds, yet “the Lord routed Sisera” (Judges 4:15). Obedience unleashes divine power far beyond human strength.

Summary

Spanning conquest, sanctuary, worship, deliverance, and exile, Kedesh threads a holy theme through Israel’s story. Its twelve mentions invite believers to treasure God’s holiness, rely on His refuge, engage His mission at the margins, and guard against the ever-present peril of apostasy.

וְקֶ֥דֶשׁ וקדש מִקֶּ֖דֶשׁ מקדש קֶ֔דְשָׁה קֶ֖דֶשׁ קֶ֙דֶשׁ֙ קֶ֤דֶשׁ קֶ֨דֶשׁ קֶֽדְשָׁה׃ קֶֽדֶשׁ׃ קדש קדש׃ קדשה קדשה׃ kedesh Kedshah mikKedesh miq·qe·ḏeš miqqeḏeš qe·ḏeš qeḏ·šāh qeḏeš qeḏšāh veKedesh wə·qe·ḏeš wəqeḏešInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts