The Tersanctus, also called the Sanctus, the attendant chant, the threefold qadosh, or the thrice-holy, refers to any of several formulaic Yahwistic praise chants beginning with the words "holy, holy, holy," commonly used by the attendant orders of angels. The Hebrew word translated as "holy" in this chant is qādôš (alternate transliteration: qadosh), and the Greek equivalent found in the New Testament is hagios. Any chant used by angels, or inspired by a chant used by angels, that begins with "Holy, holy, holy is [...]" and references Yahweh as its subject is considered a form of the Tersanctus, even if another name or title of Yahweh is used.
Textual references
Known textual appearances of the Tersanctus are indexed here. In some of these quotes, only the first word "Holy" is used to abbreviate the whole Tersanctus; a quote is not included here unless it is confirmed through context that "Holy" or some other abbreviated form indeed refers to the Tersanctus.
Bible
Seraph[im] were standing above [Yahweh]. [...][O]ne called to the other and said, "Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory."
— Isaiah 6:2-3 LEB
And the four living [angelic] creatures [...] do not have rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful, the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!"
— Revelation 4:8 LEB
Parabiblical literature
The parabiblical literature is rife with mentions of the Tersanctus; they are especially abundant in 3 Enoch.
1 Enoch
And [the seraphim] bless and praise and exalt, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Spirits; he fills the earth with spirits."
— 1 Enoch 39:12, trans. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam
2 Enoch
The cherubim and seraphim standing about the throne [...] do not depart, standing before the face of the Lord and doing his will, and [they] cover his whole throne, singing with gentle voice before the face of the Lord: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord [of Hosts], heaven and earth are full of your glory."
— 2 Enoch 21:1
3 Enoch
As I opened my mouth, uttering a song before the Holy One [...] the holy chayyot beneath and above the Throne of Glory answered and said: "Holy" [the Tersanctus] and "Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place!"
— 3 Enoch 1:11-12, trans. Hugo Odeberg
Chayyel [the prince appointed over the holy chayyot][...] causes them to make haste to say "Holy" [the Tersanctus] and "Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place!"
— 3 Enoch 20:2, trans. Hugo Odeberg
At the voice of the shouting and music of the chayyot, at the voice of the rejoicing of the timbrels of his ophanim and at the melody of the cymbals of his cherubim [...][they sing:] "Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
— 3 Enoch 22B:8, trans. Hugo Odeberg
Hamon, the great prince, the fearful and honored [one], pleasant and terrible, makes all the children of heaven tremble when the time draws near that is set for the saying of the "Thrice Holy."
— 3 Enoch 18:7, trans. Hugo Odeberg
Above the seraphim there is one prince, exalted above all the princes [...] His name is Radweriel, who is appointed over the treasuries of the books. [...] He stands in the singing company of the ministering angels and utters a song before the Holy One [...] when the time draws near for the recitation of the Thrice Holy.
— 3 Enoch 27:1–3, trans. Hugo Odeberg
At the time when the ministering angels utter the Thrice Holy, all the pillars of the heavens and their sockets tremble, and the gates of the halls of Araboth Raqia are shaken.
— 3 Enoch 38:1, trans. Hugo Odeberg
When the ministering angels utter the "Holy," all the explicit names that are engraved with a flaming stylus upon the Throne of Glory fly off like eagles [...] and surround the Holy One[.]
— 3 Enoch 39:1, trans. Hugo Odeberg
When the ministering angels say "Holy" before the Holy One [...] in the proper way, then the servants of his throne and the attendants of his glory go forth with great joy from beneath the Throne of Glory.
— 3 Enoch 40:1, trans. Hugo Odeberg
Three crowns they put upon each one of them: one crown because they say "Holy"; another crown because they say "Holy, holy"; and a third crown because they say "Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh of hosts."
— 3 Enoch 40:2, trans. Hugo Odeberg
[The angels] give glory to them and answer and cry before them: "Holy, holy, holy."
— 3 Enoch 48B:2, trans. Hugo Odeberg
Testament of Adam
At the fourth hour [of the night], the seraphim proclaim [Yahweh] holy.
— Testament of Adam, Horarium
The eighth order is that of the seraphim, who sing before the Majesty day and night, crying, "Holy, holy, holy," and never fall silent.
— Testament of Adam, Hierarchy
Apocalypse of Abraham
With a great voice, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.”
— Apocalypse of Abraham 17, manuscript K
Satano-Grigorist scripture
And Enoch saw the sleepless ones blessing Yahweh: they stood before him, saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Spirits: he fills the earth with spirits."
— The Book of the Watchers and the Acts of Enoch 17:5
Angelic use
The Bible, the Book of the Watchers and the Acts of Enoch, and some of the parabiblical literature report various orders of attendant angels, most commonly the seraphim and cherubim, surrounding Yahweh and chanting the Tersanctus. Descriptions of angels chanting the Tersanctus usually mention Yahweh's throne or explicitly state that it is performed in his throne room.
