"To separate" and "to consecrate" were originally not distinguished (e.g. Numbers 6:2 margin), and probably the majority of the uses of "separate" in English Versions of the Bible connote "to set apart for God."

The Hebrew word most often translated as “set apart” in the Old Testament is qadash. It carries the meaning of something or someone being “separated” or “consecrated” for a special purpose. When God commands something or someone to be “set apart,” it means they are designated and equipped for God’s holy service.