Hebrew Bible Shalom שָׁלוֹם (pronounced sha-lōm)

Note..–please read this blog tell the end.!

May the Today Bible verses help you build a spiritual relationship with God. You read this verse and understand what God is telling you and what God wants from you.

Used as a greeting in Hebrew, this is a common one. Upon meeting someone, you’d say “Shalom” and they’d respond with the same. Many Hebrew speakers also say, “Shalom Aleichem” (peace be with you) instead. On the Sabbath, we wish each other “Shabbat shalom” (Peaceful Sabbath).

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Not just peace

The word shalom is often translated simply as peace. While this is in part what shalom means, it doesn’t fully convey its meaning. The concept of shalom goes deeper than that and brings us to realize the perfection in our holy God!

Shalom is a noun with many meanings. Completeness, soundness, and welfare are included in its definition, along with harmony, prosperity, and tranquility. We’re left without an English word to convey all of these but a search through the bible for the word shalom can shed some light on its more profound significance. Believe it or not, understanding shalom can help us to better understand the character of our God!

A Name for God

Shalom is part of one of the names for God in Judges 6:24. Having met God himself and seen firsthand His supernatural power, Gideon built an altar and named it “Jehovah shalom” or “The LORD is peace” to let everyone know that our God is shalom. He is peace and wholeness, completeness and perfection and harmony and prosperity – all of it! 

The Way Things Ought to Be

In his book, Not the Way it’s Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga of Calvin Theological Seminary says the following about shalom:

‌The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” –Cornelius Plantinga

Jesus and Shalom

We can also better know Jesus, our Messiah through an examination of the word shalom. Isaiah calls Jesus the “Prince of shalom” in verse 9:6. All the words above used to define shalom – Jesus not only has those qualities, but he is the Prince of them! 

We can also use other words from the same root word to get a better idea of what Jesus is Prince of. “Whole”, “it was worth it”, “perfect”, “was paid for”, and “paid for in advance” are meanings of words that come from the same root as shalom. It’s no coincidence that those concepts are part of our story as well. The perfect Prince of Shalom found us worth it and paid for our sin, making us whole!