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שָׁלוֹם

𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤌

shâlôwm

H7965 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁלם to be whole, to be complete, to be sound, to be finished, to recompense

Definition

A state of wholeness, completeness, or soundness in relationships, personal welfare, or circumstances; encompasses not only the absence of conflict but also positive conditions such as harmony, well-being, health, security, and prosperity. שָׁלוֹם is used for individual well-being, communal prosperity, safety, peaceful relationships between parties or nations, and a general fullness of life.

Semantic Range

peace (absence of conflict), personal welfare, health, safety, soundness, completeness, prosperity, harmonious relationships, contentment, rest, greeting or farewell wishing well-being, covenantal relationship of trust and harmony

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁלַם (shalam) meaning 'to be complete, whole, sound, finished, repaid.' The word שָׁלוֹם is a concrete noun formation reflecting the state or condition resulting from the action of the root — that is, a situation or relational status marked by wholeness and completedness, often applied to peaceful conditions, social harmony, personal health, and successful endeavors.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁלוֹם is a multidimensional term. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, it describes objective states (peace after conflict, fulfillment of obligations, health) and subjective relationships (good will between people or between nations). Greetings like 'May there be שָׁלוֹם to you' express more than a wish for absence of war—they express a desire for comprehensive well-being. In prophetic literature, שָׁלוֹם denotes the ideal of social justice and flourishing among the people, contrasted sharply with times of conflict and suffering. In later texts (post-exilic, e.g., wisdom and apocalyptic writings), it is associated with eschatological hope for restoration and harmony. English 'peace' often narrows the scope; 'well-being' or 'wholeness' are sometimes preferable. The term's application to international relations should be distinguished from mere absence of warfare; treaties and covenants (ברית שָׁלוֹם) refer to established relationships of trust, not simply nonaggression. While 'shalom' enters later religious languages (including 'peace' in Christian texts and as a greeting among Hebrew speakers), its biblical usage is wider and richer in connotation than the English term 'peace.' Related terms such as שַׁלְוָה (tranquility) intersect but are not synonymous. The translation 'Jew' or 'Jewish' does not pertain directly to the meaning or use of שָׁלוֹם in the biblical period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שָׁלֹם; from שָׁלַם; safe, i.e. (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e. health, prosperity, peace; [idiom] do, familiar, [idiom] fare, favour, [phrase] friend, [idiom] great, (good) health, ([idiom] perfect, such as be at) peace(-able, -ably), prosper(-ity, -ous), rest, safe(-ty), salute, welfare, ([idiom] all is, be) well, [idiom] wholly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁלם (sh-l-m) — to be whole, to be complete, to be sound, to be finished, to recompense

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4918 מְשֻׁלָּם Recompensed one
H4920 מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה Yah has made whole
H7759 שׁוּלַמִּית the Peaceful Woman
H7966 שִׁלּוּם in the restitution-payment
H7967 שַׁלּוּם to Recompensed-one

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7965-08 שָׁל֔וֹם shalom HNcmsa peace wholeness 116
H7965-05 לְ/שָׁלֹֽם leshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace for wholeness 28
H7965-02 בְּ/שָׁל֑וֹם beshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness 25
H7965-04 הֲ/שָׁל֣וֹם hashalom HTi/Ncmsa Is it peace? wholeness 18
H7965-21 בְ/שָׁל֖וֹם veshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness 13
H7965-09 שְׁל֤וֹם shelom HNcmsc peace wholeness-of 10
H7965-13 שְׁלוֹמִ/י֙ shelomi HNcmsc/Sp1cs my peace my wholeness 4
H7965-11 שְׁלוֹמֶ֔/ךָ shelomekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms of your peace your wholeness 3
H7965-15 וּ/לְ/שָׁל֖וֹם uleshalom HC/R/Ncmsa and to peace and to wholeness 3
H7965-19 וְ/לִ/שְׁל֣וֹם velishelom HC/R/Ncmsc and about the welfare and for wholeness-of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

237 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7965-02 Genesis 15:15 בְּ/שָׁל֑וֹם beshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness
H7965-02 Genesis 26:29 בְּ/שָׁל֑וֹם beshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness
H7965-02 Genesis 26:31 בְּ/שָׁלֽוֹם beshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness
H7965-21 Genesis 28:21 בְ/שָׁל֖וֹם veshalom HR/Ncmsa in peace in wholeness
H7965-04 Genesis 29:6 הֲ/שָׁל֣וֹם hashalom HTi/Ncmsa Is it well wholeness
H7965-08 Genesis 29:6 שָׁל֔וֹם shalom HNcmsa It is well wholeness
H7965-05 Genesis 37:4 לְ/שָׁלֹֽם leshalom HR/Ncmsa peaceably for wholeness
H7965-09 Genesis 37:14 שְׁל֤וֹם shelom HNcmsc welfare wholeness-of
H7965-09 Genesis 37:14 שְׁל֣וֹם shelom-2 HNcmsc welfare wholeness-of
H7965-09 Genesis 41:16 שְׁל֥וֹם shelom HNcmsc a favorable answer wholeness-of
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