Hebrew Names for God

The LORD Is Peace (Shalom) - יְהוָ֖ה שָׁל֑וֹם

When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:22-24)

So often through Scripture, we find passages that ascribe attributes to God and this is indeed continued with Jesus during his earthly ministry in the I AM statements found in the Gospels. The Lord is Shalom is one such instance. 

Often the word peace is used  to represent the absence of war or conflict. For example, when warring countries sign a treaty and are at peace, or when quarrelling friends makeup and are at peace with each other.

Peace also refers to rest. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet,” while the Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the state of being calm or quiet.”  Such as when describing a place as peaceful or saying your mind is at peace.

However, Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict or state of rest. It means completeness or wholeness, and it points to the presence of something or indeed someone else.

The word peace appears 237 times in the Old Testament with its first appearance in Genesis 15:15 “as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.”

The Hebrew word translated as peace is shalom means completeness, soundness, and welfare. It comes from the root word shalam (shaw-lame’) which means to make amends or to make whole or complete.

Shalam is often used in terms of making restitution. Take Exodus 22:4, for example; if a someone stole an ox or a sheep from his neighbour, under the law, he was to restore or shalam what he had taken.

Therefore, to have shalom means to be in a state of wholeness or completeness, without any deficiency or lack. In Jewish culture, people use shalom in greeting, such as shalom Aleichem which means “well-being be upon you,” or “may you be well.” Jesus and New Testament writers often greeted one another and said farewell with peace (John 20:19).

Maybe we should take to heart the words of Jesus when he said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Prayer Spirit of Shalom

Ignite us with the fire of your love. Enflame our hearts with courage to embrace dialogue that transforms and truth that frees. Kindle our love with kindness to heal divisions and reconcile relationships. Light our imaginations with insight to envision and create a world where all are one. Stir our actions with justice and peace to engage critical concerns and cherish all of life. Fire our lives with audacity and hope to risk all for God’s mission, for love cannot wait. Amen