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How many different words are translated from the word Shalom?

What is the full meaning of Shalom?

How is it used today among the Jews?

What spiritual benefit does Shalom have for us?

Does mankind have a need for this Shalom?

Did you know there is a Biblical blessing invoking Shalom (peace) for God’s people?

Why do many of the epistles begin with the salutation "Grace and Peace…"?

What does the "Peace Offering" have to do with Shalom?

What is the "Covenant of Peace"?

This and much more in this study on ‘Shalom’, including quotes, commentary and a Wikipedia definition.

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NASB Translations for Shalom
close (2), ease (1), favorable (1), friend (1), friendly terms (1), friends (2), greet (6), greeted (1), health (1), how (1), Peace (2), peace (153), peaceably (1), peaceful (2), peacefully (3), perfect peace (1), prosperity (3), rose (1), safe (2), safely (7), safety (6), secure (1), state (1), trusted (1), welfare (14), well (17), well-being (5), who were at peace (1), wholly (1).

2 safety, soundness, in body Psalm 38:4; Isaiah 38:17; Job 5:24 is safe, secure.

3 welfare, health, prosperity: ask one about welfare Genesis 43:27; be well with Genesis 29:6;

may it be well in; absolute as object of well, be well, Genesis 29:6

4 peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment, Isaiah 32:17 (to sleep); depart life in tranquility Genesis 15:15; come in contentment; Isaiah 32:18,

5 peace, friendship:

1. human relations: Jeremiah 20:10 man of my friendship
2. in Messianic reign Psalm 72:3.

c. peace with God, especially in covenant relation: Isaiah 54:10 of my peace;

6 peace from war: make peace (with) Joshua 9:15; in time of peace; Isaiah 9:5 (Messianic title)

7 as adjective Psalm 55:21 those at peace with.

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Shalom is pictured as the equivalent or close synonym for "prosperity" in a material sense (cf. Ps 72:3ff; Isa. 54:13). Isa. 66:12; Jer. 33:6ff. describes this kind of peace as the gift of God. Isa. 48:22; 57:21 declare that there is no peace for the wicked. The withdrawal of God’s peace is viewed as a curse (cf. Jer. 16:5; Lam. 3:17; Eze. 7: 5; 13:16). Peace is identified as the fruit of righteousness (Isa. 32:17); and as a specific blessing from God (cf. 1Ki. 2:33; Ps 29:11; 85:8; Pr 3:17; Isa. 52: 7; 53:7; Jer. 28:9; Nah. 1:15; Hag. 2:9).

Peace in the sense of "absence of military conflict" is indicated in Dt 20:10; Jdg 4:17; 1Ki. 2:5; 4:24; Ec 3: 8; Isa. 39: 8.

Isa. 9:7 refers to the anticipated peaceful rule of the Messianic Servant of Yahweh.

There are a number of associated meanings, including that of "safe," found in 2Sa 18:29, 32 in relation to David’s inquiry after the safety or welfare of his son Absalom. Job 21:9 speaks of houses "safe" from fear.

The peace offering (fellowship offering) (Nu 6:14) is the word shelem which is related to shalom. The peace offering was one of the blood sacrifices of which the shed blood was the atonement on which reconciliation and peace were based (Lev. 3; Lev 7:11-21). In the peace offering this restoration of fellowship between God and man, broken by sin, but now atoned for by the shed blood, was indicated by the fact that both God and man, priest and people, partook of the offering.

The Theological Wordbook states that...

Keep in mind as you study shalom, that the specific meaning is "multi-colored" as indicated by the fact that one modern translation (NIV) renders shalom some seventy different ways!

Mounce reminds us that shalom...

John Eadie speaking of the Greek equivalent of shalom says that...

HCSB Study Bible has an excellent summary on shalom...

Shalom speaks of personal peace, not merely referring to the absence of trouble or conflict, but positively of completeness, wholeness, contentment, welfare, health, prosperity, harmony, and fulfillment. Peace is one of the blessings that flow from a right relationship to God. Shalom is a term that includes all that makes life worthwhile.

John MacArthur...

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Cornelius Plantinga wrote that...

Martens writes that shalom is...

Shalom is a state of being as well as an attitude and results from having experienced reconciliation with and forgiveness from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ (recall that the gospel was "available" in the OT - see Gal 3:8).

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TWOT says

Someone has estimated that up to two thirds of the biblical uses of shalom allude to the total fulfillment that comes when a man experiences God’s presence and pleasure. It has been well said that

The prophet Isaiah explains how sinful (Ro 5:8), helpless (Ro 5:6), God hating men and women (Ro 1:30) can return to righteousness and to the shalom of God...

In Romans Paul reminds us of what really matters in life declaring that...

The psalmist writes that...

See sections: All related to Peace (Shalom/shalem)

*H7999 (Strong) - Transliteration: Shalam - Phonetic: shaw-lam'

- Definition:

- Origin: a primitive root

- Part(s) of speech: Verb

Charles Wesley sums up the God-focused nature of a believer's peace...

"Peace Illustrated - Jim Walton was translating the NT for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace. During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was livid because of the mix-up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief's diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant, and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace. To have peace with God means that there is nothing--no sin, no guilt, no condemnation--that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ (Ro 5:1). Do you have "one heart" with God today? (see "Shalom Definition" by Kenneth Hemphill)

The phrase "covenant of peace" is specifically recorded four times in the Old Testament.

Psalm 106 while not using the exact term "covenant of peace", does help us understand this covenant with Phinehas...

Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) (Sephardic Hebrew/Israeli Hebrew: shalom; Ashkenazi Hebrew/Yiddish: sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem) is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, and welfare and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye. As it does in English, it can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between man and God or between two countries), or to the well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group of individuals.

In Hebrew, the root of the word (usually in a three or occasionally four letter format), and depending on the vowels that are used, has several meanings (that are relevant to the general meaning of the word Shalom); as for example: One meaning is "Whole", another could be the actual verb "Pay" usually in command form. The conjugated verb has other spins that are worth noting, such as: "Hishtalem" meaning "it was worth it" or "Shulam" as "it was paid for" or "Meshulam" as in "paid in advance." Hence one can jokingly say that, "when it's paid-for then there is peace."

The Hebrew term shalom is roughly translated to other languages as peace, from the Latin pax. Pax, in Latin, means peace, but it was also used to mean truce or treaty. So, deriving from the definition and use in Latin, most Romance terms simply use the word peace to mean such, and also provides a relational application (be it personal, social or political) - a state of mind and affairs. Peace is an important word in the Christian sacred scriptures and liturgy. Eirene, the Greek term translated to peace, also means quietness and rest.

Shalom, in the liturgy and in the transcendent message of the Christian scriptures, means more than a state of mind, of being or of affairs. Derived from the Hebrew root shalam - meaning to be safe or complete, and by implication, to be friendly or to reciprocate. Shalom, as term and message, seems to encapsulate a reality and hope of wholeness for the individual, within societal relations, and for the whole world. To say joy and peace, meaning a state of affairs where there is no dispute or war, does not begin to describe the sense of the term. Completeness seems to be at the center of shalom as we will see in the meaning of the term itself, in some derivatives from its root, shalam, in some examples of its uses in Jewish and Christian Scriptures, and in some homophone terms from other Semitic languages.

The noun shalom means safe, for example, well and happy. On a more abstract application, its use points to welfare, for example, health, prosperity, and, peace.

It is the verb form shalam, though, that provides a deeper understanding of this term in theology, doctrine, and liturgy. Literally translated, shalam signals to a state of safety, but figuratively it points to completeness. In its use in Scripture, shalom describes the actions that lead to a state of soundness, or better yet wholeness. So to say, shalom seems not to merely speak of a state of affairs, but describes a process, an activity, a movement towards fullness. Using the King James Version as reference, James Strong lists the rendering of shalom and shalam, among others, as:

• To make amends
• To make good
• To be (or to make) peace
• To restore
• Peace
• Prosperity
• Wellness

The use of shalom in the Scriptures always points towards that transcendent action of wholeness. Shalom is seen in reference to the wellbeing of others (Genesis 43.27, Exodus 4.18), to treaties (I Kings 5.12), and in prayer for the wellbeing of cities or nations (Psalm 122.6, Jeremiah 29.7). Coincidentally, the root shalem, means peaceful - though it is sometimes posited that this root is found in the name of the city Jerusalem (combined with yara, meaning to lay or found), this is likely a re-etymologization. Yet, its transcendence lies in its relationship to truth and justice (Psalm 85.10, Isaiah 48.18, 22, 57.19-21). The wholeness of shalom, through justice and truth, inspires the words of hope for the work expected by the messiah, and to refer to its revelation as the time of peace (Haggai 2.7-9, Isaiah 2.2-4, 11.1-9), and to even grant this anointed one the title Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9.6, Micah 5.4-5a).

In the Christian Scriptures, the term eirene is employed to mean peace, but in its application, seeking for it the transcendence of its Hebrew counterpart, peace is better understood in relation to terms like grace (Romans 1.7), righteousness (Romans 14.17), and life (Romans 8.6). It is also employed in benedictions, like that in I Thessalonians 5.23 and Hebrews 13.20-21, perhaps making echo to prayers of peace common throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish benedictions (Numbers 6.22-27).

This sense of completeness, central to the term shalom could also be confirmed in homophonic terms found in other Semitic languages. The term shelam, of Chaldean origin, seems to mean both peace and restoration. Aramaic derivations of the terms shalom and shalam are said to mean peace, safety, completeness and welfare. The Assyrian term salamu means to be complete, unharmed, paid/atoned. Sulmu, another Assyrian term, means welfare. A closer relation to the idea of shalom as concept and action is seen in the Arabic root salaam. Meaning to be safe, secure, and forgiven, among other things. It also proposes a personal commitment to the concept, action, and transcendence of peace - Salaam is also the root for the terms Muslim and Islam, literally translated, he/she who submits to God and submission to God, respectively.

The word "shalom" can be used for all parts of speech; as a noun, adjective, verb, adverb, and interjection. It categorizes all shaloms. The word shalom is used in a variety of expressions and contexts in Hebrew speech and writing:

• Shalom aleichem (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם; "well-being be upon you" or "may you be well"), this expression is used to greet others and is a Hebrew equivalent of "hello". Also, for example: "shabat shalom!" The appropriate response to such a greeting is "upon you be well-being" (aleichem shalom). This is a cognate of the Arabic Assalamu alaikum. On Erev Shabbat (Sabbath eve), Jewish people have a custom of singing a song which is called Shalom aleichem, before the Kiddush over wine of the Shabbat dinner is recited.
• In the Gospels, Jesus often uses the greeting "Peace be unto you" (e.g., Matt 10:12), a translation of shalom aleichem.
• Shalom by itself is a very common abbreviation and it is used in Modern Israeli Hebrew as a greeting, to which the common reply is, Shalom, Shalom. It is also used as a farewell. In this way it is similar to the Hawaiian aloha, the English good evening and the Indian namaste. Also in Israel, "bye" (English) and "yallah bye" (a mixture of Arabic and English) is popular. Shalom is also used by Jewish people around the world, and even by many non-Jewish people.
• Shabbat shalom is a common greeting used on Shabbat. This is most prominent in areas with Mizrahi, Sephardi, or modern Israeli influence. Many Ashkenazi communities in the Jewish diaspora use Yiddish Gut shabbes in preference or interchangeably.
• Ma sh'lom'cha (מַה שְׁלוֹמְךָ; "what is your well-being/peace?") is a Hebrew equivalent of the English "how are you?" This is the form addressed to an individual male. The form for addressing an individual female is Ma sh'lomech? For addressing several females, Ma sh'lomchen? For a group of males or a mixed-gender group, Ma sh'lomchem?
• Alav hashalom (עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם; "upon him is peace") is a phrase used in some Jewish communities, especially Ashkenazi ones, after mentioning the name of a deceased respected individual.
• Oseh shalom is the part of a passage commonly found as a concluding sentence in much Jewish liturgy (including the birkat hamazon, kaddish and personal amidah prayers). The full sentence is עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עַלֵינוּ, וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן (Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleynu, ve'al kol Yisrael ve'imru amen), which translates to English as "He who makes peace in His heights may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen." It originates from Job 25:2.
• U.S. President Bill Clinton ended his eulogy for Yitzhak Rabin with the words Shalom, chaver (Goodbye, friend).

In Judaism, Shalom (peace), is one of the underlying principle of the Torah. "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are shalom (peace)". The Talmud explains, "The entire Torah is for the sake of the ways of shalom". Maimonides comments in his Mishneh Torah: "Great is peace, as the whole Torah was given in order to promote peace in the world, as it is stated, 'Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.'"

In the book Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, author Cornelius Plantinga described the Old Testament concept of shalom:

How does God feel about issues we face today?

Transliteration: Shalem - Phonetic: shaw-lame'

- Definition:

Shalem describes … stones which were whole (uncut) (Dt 27:6, Josh 8:31), stones that were whole or finished (for the Temple 1Ki 6:7), a weight that is full (Dt 25:15, Prov 11:1), wages that were full (abounding) (Ru 2:12), a heart that was whole (wholly devoted, complete, perfect - 1Ki 8:61), an army at full strength (Nah 1:12), a population, as entire or whole (Amos 1:6, 9), of hearts that were whole or undivided, wholly centered on the Lord.

Shalem - 27 verses in the NAS - This Hebrew word shalem is translated a number of ways in the NAS depending on the contextual use - blameless(1), complete(1), completed(1), completely(1), entire(2), friendly(1), full(4), just(1), perfect(2), prepared(1), safely(1), uncut(2), whole(5), wholeheartedly*(1), wholly devoted(4).

Psalm 4:8 (NAS)