The Hebrew word shalom has a much richer meaning than simply peace or hello. It comes from the root verb shalam, which means to be complete or whole. So shalom implies completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, and harmony. Shalom is an umbrella term for the well-being and welfare of an individual or group of people.
In the Bible, shalom is often used in greetings and farewells, as both a hello and goodbye. We see this especially when people are meeting or departing from each other. For example, in Judges 19:20, a Levite greets an old man with “Peace be to you!” Similarly, in 1 Samuel 25:6, David sends messengers to greet Nabal with “Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.” Shalom was and still is used as a standard greeting much like we use “hi” or “hello” today.
But shalom means so much more than just a simple greeting. It is a blessing, a hope, a gift from God. When someone says “shalom,” they are speaking peace, completeness, and welfare over the person. We see this in several places in the Old Testament:
– In Genesis 15:15, God promises Abram (Abraham) that he will die in shalom, meaning he will die after living a full, complete life.
– In Genesis 43:23, when Joseph sees his brother Benjamin again after many years, he asks if his father is still alive and well, literally asking if their father is still in shalom.
– In 1 Kings 2:33, David prays that God would return Solomon’s kingdom in shalom, meaning make it whole, complete, and at peace again.
– In 1 Kings 9:25, Solomon offered sacrifices to God three times a year and the altar was called “the altar of shalom offerings,” meaning offerings that brought about completeness and wholeness between God and man.
Shalom is also used in farewells, to wish the person shalom as they depart. For instance, in 1 Samuel 1:17, Eli blesses Hannah by saying “Go in shalom” as she leaves the temple after praying. In 2 Samuel 15:9, David says farewell to Absalom, “Go in shalom” as his son departs from Jerusalem in rebellion. The people are invoking God’s blessing of wholeness, welfare, and peace over the person as they go their way.
The common thread is that shalom was wished over people both in greetings and farewells. It was a blessing of God’s peace, well-being, completeness, and favor as hello and goodbye.
But shalom means even more than just a greeting. It is one of the key theological concepts in the Bible. Its first use in Scripture gives us insight into its deeper spiritual meaning. In Judges 6:23-24, Gideon realizes he has seen the angel of the Lord face to face and says, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Here God declares shalom to Gideon, assuring him that despite seeing the holy angel of the Lord directly, he would not be struck down but would live because God wished him shalom, wholeness, welfare, and peace.
This passage reveals that shalom is first and foremost about our relationship with God. Shalom with God forms the foundation for all other forms of shalom. When we are at peace with God through faith in Christ, we are put in a right relationship with Him where we can experience wholeness, completeness, and well-being of body, mind, relationships, and circumstances. So the spiritual meaning of shalom begins with being made right with God.
Shalom is also one of the key attributes of the coming Messiah and His kingdom. Isaiah 9:6 prophesies that Jesus Christ will be called the “Prince of Peace.” He brings true, ultimate shalom between us and God. Similarly, the angels announced the birth of Christ by proclaiming “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). Jesus is the source of the highest shalom.
When Jesus began His ministry, He announced that He came to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:19), referring to the Jubilee year of release, restoration, and redemption described in Leviticus 25. This was a year of shalom for God’s people. Likewise, Christ came to bring us out of brokenness into wholeness. He also sent out His disciples with the message, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him” (Luke 10:5-6). They were to bless people with shalom by proclaiming the good news of Christ’s coming.
The Epistles also connect Christ with shalom. Ephesians 2:14-15 tells us “For he himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace.” Because of what Jesus did, we can have shalom with God and shalom between believers of different backgrounds. In Christ, we are made whole.
And Romans 5:1 declares, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our shalom with God is only possible through Christ justifying us by faith in Him. The book of Romans also says that the kingdom of God consists of “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The Messianic kingdom brings true divine shalom.
Now because of Christ, Christians are called to live out shalom in their lives and towards others. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 14:19 adds, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” We are to be agents of shalom in the world, bringing reconciliation, restoration, and wholeness to the lives of others. As Romans 15:33 explains, “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
In Galatians, several key verses about living in wholeness are:
– Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…
– Galatians 6:16 – Peace and mercy be upon…all who walk by this rule.
– Galatians 1:3 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Shalom is a gift we receive from God by faith, and also a fruit of His Spirit working in our lives. As we walk in the Spirit, we will naturally produce shalom.
In Hebrews, the writer describes Jesus as the great shepherd of the sheep who was raised from the dead “through the blood of the eternal covenant” (Hebrews 13:20). Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can have shalom with God. “Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:20-21). God equips us with His shalom to live in wholeness and to do His will, only possible because of what Jesus did.
And James reminds us that “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18). As we cultivate shalom in our lives and relationships, we will reap a righteous harvest.
In the book of Revelation, shalom is prophesied to be a defining characteristic of eternity with God:
– Revelation 6:4 – The riders on the four horses are given authority to take peace from the earth.
– Revelation 21:4 – God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
True shalom will only be fully realized when Christ returns to abolish sin and death forever. The wholeness and peace we experience now is only a foretaste of what is to come for eternity.
So in summary, the Hebrew word shalom means completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, health, prosperity, harmony, and rest. It was used as a greeting in the Bible but also signifies a complete life in relationship with God. The messianic prophecies in the Old Testament predicted that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace who brings the highest shalom between us and God. Because of Christ’s death, we can have shalom with God by faith which allows us to live in spiritual wholeness and completeness. As Christians, we are called to display shalom to others until it is perfectly fulfilled in eternity when Jesus returns.
Shalom is one of the richest theological concepts in Scripture encompassing spiritual peace, well-being, reconciliation, blessing, and harmony with both God and people. Its fullness is found only in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. By putting our faith in Him, we can begin to live in true divine shalom even now, awaiting its ultimate fulfillment in eternity.