Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם
shalom
Peace, wholeness, completeness, well-being
The Hebrew word for peace — but far richer than the English equivalent, meaning wholeness, completeness, harmony, and well-being.
Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) comes from the Hebrew root sh-l-m (שלם), which carries the basic meaning of 'completeness,' 'wholeness,' or 'soundness.' Words from the same root include shalem ('whole,' 'complete'), shalom (the noun 'peace'), and shillem ('to repay,' 'to make restitution'). The word appears over 230 times in the Hebrew Bible and is one of the most theologically dense words in Scripture. To translate shalom as 'peace' captures only part of the meaning — peace in English often means the absence of conflict, while shalom means the positive presence of all things being as they should be. Shalom is also the standard Hebrew greeting and farewell — like 'aloha' in Hawaiian, it works for both hello and goodbye. To greet someone with shalom is to wish them not just the absence of trouble but the comprehensive flourishing God intends.
Shalom appears in major biblical contexts. Numbers 6:24-26 — the Aaronic blessing — closes with 'the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace (shalom).' Psalm 122:6 — 'Pray for the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem.' Isaiah 9:6 prophesies the Messiah as the 'Prince of Peace' (Sar Shalom). The greeting 'Shalom aleichem' ('peace be upon you') is the standard Jewish greeting, mirrored in the Arabic 'Salaam alaikum.' Critically, shalom is not just an inner state — it is a comprehensive social, physical, and spiritual reality. When Isaiah says 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace (shalom)' (Isaiah 52:7), the peace announced is the deliverance of God's people from exile — a political, military, social peace as well as a spiritual one. The Messianic vision of Isaiah 11:6-9 — the lion lying down with the lamb, the child playing safely near the cobra's hole — is shalom. The new heavens and new earth, where God dwells with his people and wipes away every tear (Revelation 21), is shalom. In the New Testament, the Greek word eirene (εἰρήνη) is used to translate shalom. Jesus declares 'Peace I leave with you, my peace (eirene) I give unto you' (John 14:27). The greeting after his resurrection is shalom: 'Peace be unto you' (John 20:19, 21, 26). Paul opens nearly every letter with 'grace to you and peace from God our Father.' The Hebrew shalom and its Greek equivalent eirene name the comprehensive flourishing that is God's gift in Christ.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.”
"Perfect peace" — Hebrew shalom shalom
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
To pray for shalom is to ask not just that conflict end but that life flourish — that bodies be whole, relationships restored, communities thriving, creation harmonious. The biblical vision is bigger than what we usually mean by peace. The Christian gospel announces shalom: a comprehensive restoration that Christ accomplishes and will fully bring at his return. Living shalom in the meantime — pursuing wholeness, working for restoration, refusing the false peace that papers over injustice — is part of Christian witness.
Shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם) means peace — but far more than the English 'peace.' The full meaning includes wholeness, completeness, harmony, well-being, and flourishing. To wish someone shalom is to wish them not just the absence of trouble but the positive presence of all things being as they should be. The word is also the standard Hebrew greeting and farewell, used for both hello and goodbye.
'Peace' in Hebrew is shalom (שָׁלוֹם, pronounced shah-LOHM). It comes from the root sh-l-m meaning 'completeness' or 'wholeness.' The full Aaronic blessing concludes with the word: 'The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace (shalom)' — Numbers 6:26. To greet someone with 'shalom' or 'shalom aleichem' ('peace be upon you') is the standard Jewish greeting.
English 'peace' usually means the absence of conflict or inner calm. Hebrew shalom means the positive presence of all things being whole — bodies healthy, relationships harmonious, communities flourishing, creation harmonious. Shalom is more comprehensive: it is the world as God intends it. Christ's gift of peace (John 14:27) is not just inner calm but participation in this comprehensive flourishing.