שִׁלּוּם
𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤌
shillûwm
H7966 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A payment or compensation given in fulfillment of an obligation, whether as restitution, recompense for loss, or reward for services rendered. The term can refer to the act of making whole or repaying, encompassing both positive and negative senses, including just restitution for an injury or crime, restitution of property, and, less commonly, a due wage or reward.
Semantic Range
payment, compensation, restitution (legal repayment for injury or loss), retribution, remuneration, fee, reward, making whole, restoring what is due
Root / Etymology
From the root שׁ־ל־ם (שָׁלַם), which fundamentally means 'to be complete, be sound, be whole, make amends.' The noun שִׁלּוּם is a derivative indicating the act or means of making whole, i.e., the act of paying, fulfilling, or restoring, with nuance depending on the context. It is a nominal form possibly built on the intensive (Pi'el) structure, indicating an action related to restoration, repayment, or full compensation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שִׁלּוּם is a rare noun in biblical Hebrew, occurring primarily in later strata and related to legal and financial contexts. Its usage encompasses both restitution for wrongdoing (as in legal compensation after a loss or crime) and remuneration for service (reward or fee). The distinction between retributive payment (negative/penal) and positive reward (honorarium) rests on context. Unlike מִשֹּׁר, which more exclusively connotes 'reward, wage,' שִׁלּוּם focuses on repayment and making whole, often with an underlying sense of restoring balance or justice. In post-biblical sources, the word’s sense expands in technical legal usage. Some English translations use 'recompense' or 'retribution,' but these may not always capture the word’s broader nuance of restoration or restitution. In later (post-exilic, Second Temple) Hebrew, the term expands with more technical financial and penal connotations, sometimes appearing in discussions of civil and criminal law. The English rendering 'reward' is too narrow if understood as only positive; biblically, the term can imply both positive and negative consequences—whatever is due or owed to rectify a situation. In earlier biblical books, forms of the verb שָׁלַם and related roots appear more frequently than this noun.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שִׁלֻּם; from שָׁלַם; a requital, i.e. (secure) retribution, (venal) a fee; recompense, reward.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁלם (š-l-m) — wholeness, completeness, making whole, restitution, recompense
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4918 | מְשֻׁלָּם | Recompensed one |
| H4920 | מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה | Yah has made whole |
| H7759 | שׁוּלַמִּית | the Peaceful Woman |
| H7965 | שָׁלוֹם | in the wholeness |
| H7967 | שַׁלּוּם | to Recompensed-one |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7966-03 |
שִׁלּוּמִ֖ים | shilumim | HNcmpa |
of recompenses | restitutions | 1 |
H7966-01 |
בַּ/שִׁלּ֑וּם | bashilum | HRd/Ncmsa |
for a bribe | in the restitution-payment | 1 |
H7966-02 |
הַ/שִׁלֻּ֔ם | hashilum | HTd/Ncmsa |
the retribution | the restitution | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7966-03 |
Isaiah 34:8 | שִׁלּוּמִ֖ים | shilumim | HNcmpa |
of recompenses | restitutions |
H7966-02 |
Hosea 9:7 | הַ/שִׁלֻּ֔ם | hashilum | HTd/Ncmsa |
the retribution | the restitution |
H7966-01 |
Micah 7:3 | בַּ/שִׁלּ֑וּם | bashilum | HRd/Ncmsa |
for a bribe | in the restitution-payment |