What does shalom mean?

Q: What does shalom mean?

Shalom (Hebrew H7965) means far more than 'peace' — it is wholeness, completeness, welfare, and right relationship. It appears over 200 times in the Old Testament, from greetings to the priestly blessing.

Shalom (H7965) comes from a root meaning "to be complete, to be whole." English "peace" catches only a corner of it. Shalom is the state where nothing is missing and nothing is broken — health, safety, prosperity, and a right relationship with God and neighbor, all in one word. The KJV needs a whole shelf of words to translate it: peace, welfare, prosperity, health, safety, rest.

It is the crowning word of the oldest blessing in the world, still spoken over congregations today:

“The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”Numbers 6:26 (KJV)

Gideon built an altar to it after God told a terrified man to fear not — Jehovah-Shalom, "the LORD is peace":

“Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”Judges 6:24 (KJV)

And Isaiah gave the Messiah the title Sar Shalom — Prince of Peace. Its Greek counterpart, eirene, opens nearly every New Testament letter: "Grace be unto you, and peace."

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What does shalom mean?

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