There are two Hebrew words which are translated into our English word saint. Qadosh meaning set-apart, and chasiyd meaning a kind one. Saint does not mean perfect or sinless or a sainted being that watches over you.
H6918 קדשׁ / קדושׁ qâdôsh sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart. Here are some examples of where qadosh was translated as saint.
Psa 16:3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
Psa 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
Psa 106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
H2623 חסיד châsîyd faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious. Here are a few examples of where chasiyd was translated as saint.
Psa 79:1 A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
Psa 79:2 They have given the bodies of Your servants as food for the birds of the heavens; the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
Israel is defined as His saints
Psa 148:14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Psa 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
The children of Zion are His saints
Psa 149:2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
G40 ἅγιος hagios Thayer Definition: 1) most holy thing, a saint
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
No longer strangers or foreigners but of the House. Of Israel.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
His Body
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
The Israel of God who believes in Messiah and keeps the Word. His disciples/students/pupils/little guy in His eye.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Isa 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Holiness
Peter used the word hagios to denote holiness
2Pe 3:11 Then all these being about to be dissolved, of what sort ought you to be in holy behavior and godliness,
In the LXX the word hagios is used for holy
Exo 22:31 And you shall be holy men to Me. And you shall not eat flesh torn in pieces; you shall throw it to the dogs.
Lev 11:45 for I am Jehovah who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to become your God; and you shall be holy, for I am holy.
Lev 20:7 And you shall sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am Jehovah your God;
Numerical Equivalents of Letters in the Bible
The gematria of the Greek word for saint (hagios) is 284. This bears some interesting connections to the above meaning of the word saint being Israel, Zion, His household.
Connected to Good and God.
His saints (holy ones/set apart ones) are only made set-apart by Him.
This number 284 is found in the phrase “for His mercy endures forever”. This is further connected to hagios (saint) through the word mercy. The word mercy in Hebrew is chesed which is from the same root as one of the two words translated as saint in english.
This Psalm is known as the great Hallel and begins ‘Hodu l’Yahweh kee tov; kee l’olam chasdo. The phrase Hodu l’Yahweh has an amazing connection to the word saint as well. This is what was sung at the dedications of the Temples. His saints are His temple/His body/His house etc.
When David brought up the ark into the house Hodu l’Yahweh was sung.
1Ch 16:8 O give thanks to Jehovah; call on His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.
1Ch 16:34 Give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
This song is connected with the regathering. The true regathering occurs IN Messiah. He gathers us together into one in His body.
1Ch 16:35 And say, O save us, God of our salvation; and gather us, and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.
Hodu l’Yahweh was sung when the Temple was built
2Ch 5:1 And all the work that Solomon made for the house of Jehovah was finished. And Solomon brought in the dedicated things of his father David, and the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels he had put among the treasures of the house of God.
2Ch 5:13 And they were as one to the trumpeters, and to the singers to cause one sound to be heard to praise and to thank Jehovah. And when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah, saying, For He is good; for his mercy endures forever; and a cloud filled the house, the house of Jehovah;
2Ch 5:14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of God.
2Ch 7:1 And when Solomon finished praying, then the fire came down from Heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house;
2Ch 7:2 and the priests were not able to go into the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah.
2Ch 7:3 And all the sons of Israel were watching, when the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah was on the house and they bowed their noses to the earth, on the pavement, and worshiped, and gave thanks to Jehovah: for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Hodu l’Yahweh ki tov was sung at the foundation of the 2nd Temple
Ezr 3:10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they made stand the priests in their robes with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise Jehovah, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
Ezr 3:11 And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Jehovah because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.
Hodu l’Yahweh ki tov sung at the regathering (gathering all things into one in Messiah)
Jer 33:10 So says Jehovah, Again there shall be heard in this place, which you say shall be waste without man and without beast, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate without man, without one living in it, and without beast,
Jer 33:11 the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those saying, Praise Jehovah of Hosts, for Jehovah is good, for His mercy endures forever; those who shall bring the sacrifice of thanksgiving into the house of Jehovah. For I will bring back the captivity of the land, as at the first, says Jehovah.
Jer 33:12 So says Jehovah of Hosts, Again in this place which is a waste without man or even beast, and in all its cities shall be a home of shepherds causing flocks to lie down.
Jer 33:13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the Negeb, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks shall pass again under the hands of him who tallies, says Jehovah.
Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will fulfill the good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
Jer 33:15 In those days, and at that time, I will cause a Branch of Righteousness to grow up to David. And He shall do judgment and righteousness in the land.
Jer 33:16 In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. And this is the name that shall be called on her: JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
With that being established we can now look again at what it means to be a saint and see how the Greek gematria of the word saint is thematically connected to the meaning of the word saint.
Saints are the HOUSE of God
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Saints are His body
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
His Temple
Exo 25:8 And let them make a sanctuary* for Me, that I may dwell in their midst.
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, {this is the meaning of qodesh/saint…set apartness} saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
The word for sanctuary in the above verse in Exodus 25 is miqdash which comes from the root qodesh meaning holy/set apart.
*H4720
מקּדשׁ / מקדּשׁ
Saints=the chosen people
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Eze 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Eze 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.
Lev 26:12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
Exo 29:45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Zec 2:10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
1Jo 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jo 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1Jo 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jo 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jo 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
How are we sanctified? Or ‘sainted’
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Psa 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
The gematria of the word qodesh is 404
Here again we see a connection of the dat/law sanctifying us unto God. Pictographically, dat means the door of the cross. The only way we can truly be sanctified by the Word is through Messiah who is the Word made flesh.
The phrase levav shalom- perfect/peaceful heart also adds up to 404 connecting to holiness and the law.
Psa 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The Hebrew word sheqad (almond) adds up to 404 as well and has an interesting connection to qodesh/saints. On the branches of the menorah were engraved almonds. The menorah is a beautiful picture of the body of Messiah and the word shekad literally means a watchman. One of the Hebrew words for watchman is ‘netsarim‘ which also means branches.
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