Peace (07965) (shalom from salam/salem/shalam = to be safe, sound, healthy, perfect, complete [1Ki 7:51, Neh 6:18]) signifies a sense of well-being and harmony both within and without  - Completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony; the absence of agitation or discord, a state of calm without anxiety or stress.

The root meaning of shalom is to be whole or sound and this leads to translations that speak of completeness, wholeness, well-being, welfare and peace. Shalom also includes the idea of vigour and vitality in all dimensions of life. In short, shalom speaks of holistic ("holy") health for our souls and spirits.

The Theological Wordbook states that...

In the Bible the word peace has a wide range of meanings. Basically it includes the ideas of wholeness, well-being, prosperity, and security, all associated with God's presence with His people. The Hebrew word shalom is translated peace over 200 times (see list of all uses below). Sometimes it is simply a form of greeting (Ge 29:6, 2Ki 4:26), but more often it describes relationships -- individual to individual (Ge 34:21NKJV), nation to nation (Dt 2:26, Josh 10:21JKJV, 1Ki 4:24, 5:12) or God to humans (Ps 85:8, Jer 16:5NKJV). (Donald Campbell, Wendell Johnson, John Walvoord, John Witmer - Theological Wordbook)

Shalom implies a state of mind that is satisfied and has relationships which are characterized by harmony (a tuneful sound [Great picture! -- Does that describe your/my marriage/family/church relationships? Or would a better word be cacophony {discordant sounds, harshness in the sound of one's speech}?!], a pleasing arrangement of parts, internal calm).

Keep in mind as you study shalom, that the specific meaning is "multi-colored" as indicated by the fact that one modern translation (NIV) renders shalom some seventy different ways!

Here are several of the many nuances of shalom (Note: Which nuance is intended in a particular passage must be determined from the context. Note also that this list overlaps somewhat with other descriptions on this page):

absence of strife or war (cp Lv 26:6, Jdg 4:17, 1Ki 2:5), harmony, fulfillment, completeness, friendly, satisfied condition, sense of well being, state of peacefulness, a harmonious state of one's soul and mind externally and internally (cp Ps 4:8), security (cp Job 21:9), offering terms of peace (Dt 20:10; Jdg 21:13), accepting terms of peace (Dt 20:11), making peace with someone (Jos 9:15; Isa 27:5), a peaceful man (Ps 37:37),  words of peace (Dt 2:26), salutation of departure (1Sa1:17; 20:42; 2Sa15:9), sound of body and mind (Ge 43:27; 1Sa25:6 = also a greeting from David to Nabal)

NAS Dictionary - completeness, soundness, welfare, peace

TWOT - Peace, prosperity, well, health, completeness, safety.

KJV Dictionary - 1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace 1a) completeness (in number) 1b) safety, soundness (in body) 1c) welfare, health, prosperity 1d) peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment 1e) peace, friendship 1e1) of human relationships 1e2) with God especially in covenant relationship 1f) peace (from war) 1g) peace (as adjective)

Vine notes that shalom speaks of...

The relationship is one of harmony and wholeness, which is the opposite of the state of strife and war: "I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war" (Psa. 120:7). Shālôm as a harmonious state of the soul and mind encourages the development of the faculties and powers. The state of being at ease is experienced both externally and internally. In Hebrew it finds expression in the phrase beshālôm ("in peace") (Ed: This Hebrew expression "beshālôm" is found in - Ge 15:15; 26:29, 31; Josh 10:21; Jdg 11:13; 1Sa 29:7; 2Sa 3:21, 22, 23; 15:9, 27; 2Sa 19:30KJV; 1Ki 22:17, 1Ki 22:28KJV; 2Ki 22:20; 2Chr 18:16, 2Chr 18:27KJV; 2Chr 19:1KJV; 2Chr 34:28; Ps 4:8; Je 34:5; Je 43:12KJV; Mal 2:6)

Mounce reminds us that shalom...

comes from the Lord, and He is the foundation of peace (1Ki 2:33; Mic 5:5). This peace comes as a result of restored righteousness (Isa 32:17; 48:18; 53:5; 60:17) (Ed: See notes below). And in a glorious eschatological passage, the prophet Isaiah looks ahead to the birth of that child who will be “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6). This is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is “our peace” (Ep 2:14).

Shalom speaks of personal peace, not merely referring to the absence of trouble or conflict, but positively of completeness, wholeness, contentment, welfare, health, prosperity, harmony, and fulfillment. Peace is one of the blessings that flow from a right relationship to God. Shalom is a term that includes all that makes life worthwhile.

John MacArthur...

Close to the meaning of the Hebrew word shalom is the word used by the Kekchi Indians of Guatemala, who define peace as “quiet goodness.” The term they use conveys the idea of something that is active and aggressive, not just a rest in one’s own heart away from troublesome circumstances. The biblical concept of peace does not focus on the absence of trouble. Biblical peace is unrelated to circumstances—it is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside. You may be in the midst of great trials and still have biblical peace  (see Ps 4:8 below). (How to survive in a world of unbelievers)

SHALOM:
THE WAY THINGS
OUGHT TO BE

Cornelius Plantinga wrote that...

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalbom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be. (Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin)

Martens writes that shalom is...

A Hebrew term for peace which describes comprehensive well-being. Shalom, while used in a daily greeting among the Hebrews, is a weighty theological term in the Old Testament. Shalom embraces concepts of harmony, security, serenity, right relationships, wholeness, health, prosperity, and even success. The term may refer to a condition or a relationship, and in the latter designates a right relationship to God. God is the source of shalom and offers shalom to those who trust him (Ps. 29:11; Isa. 26:3). Shalom has a social dimension; it is understandably linked with righteousness (Isa. 32:17). (Believers Church Bible commentary)

Shalom is a state of being as well as an attitude and results from having experienced reconciliation with and forgiveness from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ (recall that the gospel was "available" in the OT - see Gal 3:8).

MANKIND'S NEED
FOR GOD'S SHALOM

TWOT says

The general meaning behind the root sh-l-m is of completion and fulfillment—of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.

In the context of God and man, that relationship of shalom was disturbed and in fact died in one sense in Genesis 3 (cp Ge 2:17, 3:3,6,7, Ro 5:12-note), but God immediately made a way for man to return to Him (cp Ge 3:15, the so called "protevangelium" or first gospel-see note). We see Abram entering into that restored relationship in Genesis 15:6 when he believed God and God imputed perfect righteousness (of Christ) onto Abram's spiritual "bank account" (Ge 15:6). Now because of the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant, the creature can enter into a state of shalom manifested by wholeness, spiritual health and prosperity and oneness with his Creator through the blood of Christ shed for the remission of sin (See Relationship between righteousness and peace).

Someone has estimated that up to two thirds of the biblical uses of shalom allude to the total fulfillment that comes when a man experiences God’s presence and pleasure. It has been well said that

"Peace in the Jewish sense is the symphony of life made meaningful through a right relationship with God."

The prophet Isaiah explains how sinful (Ro 5:8-note), helpless (Ro 5:6-note), God hating men and women (Ro 1:30-note, Ro 5:10-note, Col 1:21-note) can return to righteousness and to the shalom of God...

But He was pierced through (pictures the crucifixion) for (because of) our transgressions, He was crushed for (because of)  our iniquities (and no shalom as indicated by Isaiah 48:22); The chastening for our well-being (shalom; Lxx = eirene) fell upon Him ("the punishment that brought us peace" Is 53:5NIV), and by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 compare 1Pe 2:24-note - note the context of Peter ["die to sin, live to righteousness"] clearly speaks of spiritual healing not physical healing). All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:6 compare 1Pe 3:18-note)

Comment: Shalom is the genitive (possessive) of result. In other words this phrase describes the punishment poured out upon Christ that resulted in our peace. Christ's substitutionary (His death in our place) atonement (full and eternal coverage of all our sins, past, present and future) which results in a harmonious (cp "shalom") relationship between God and man (See the "Covenant of Peace" below).

Spurgeon's sermons on Isa 53:5: The Universal Remedy; A Simple Remedy ; Healing by the Stripes of Jesus; Christopathy; A Dire Disease Strangely Cured

Spurgeon's sermons on Isa 53:6: Sin Laid on Jesus; Individual Sin Laid on Jesus

David's deep grief over his sins resulted in the loss of shalom...

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation (Literally "before Thy anger" which speaks of divine judgment as the fruit of David's sin); There is no health (Ps 38:3KJV = "rest" - shalom; Lxx = eirene) in my bones because of my sin (Literally = "there is no health in my bones from before my sin.") (Psalm 38:3)

Spurgeon comments:  Deeper still the malady penetrates, till the bones, the more solid parts of the system, are affected. No soundness and no rest ("no health" = "no shalom") are two sad deficiencies; yet these are both consciously gone from every awakened conscience until Jesus gives relief (cp "shalom")). God's anger is a fire that dries up the very marrow; it searches the secret parts of the belly. A man who has pain in his bones tosses to and fro in search of rest (shalom), but he finds none; he becomes worn out with agony, and in so many cases a sense of sin creates in the conscience a horrible unrest which cannot be exceeded in anguish except by hell itself.

GOD'S PROVISION OF
THE COVENANT OF SHALOM

The phrase "covenant of peace" is specifically recorded four times in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant (Lxx = diatheke) of peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene = the promise of the New Covenant to be fulfilled in Christ - see Jer 31:31, 32, 33, 34) will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you (Why does God do this? Compassion).

Ezekiel 34:25 "And I will make a covenant (Lxx = diatheke) of peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene) with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

Comment: Compare the idea of "My covenant of peace" with the "peace" the justified sinner has before God in (Ro 5:1-note). Clearly this "covenant of peace" speaks of the Old Testament promise of the New Covenant in Christ's blood (Lk 22:20, Mt 26:28). John MacArthur agrees writing that this "refers to the New Covenant of Jer 31:32, 33, 34 (cf. Jer 37:26) in full operation during the Millennial Kingdom." (MacArthur Study Bible)

Spurgeon (Faith's Checkbook): IT is the height of grace that Jehovah should be in covenant with man, a feeble, sinful, and dying creature. Yet the Lord has solemnly entered into a faithful compact with us, and from that covenant He will never turn aside. In virtue of this covenant we are safe. As lions and wolves are driven off by shepherds, so shall all noxious influences be chased away. The Lord will give us rest from disturbers and destroyers; the evil beasts shall cease out of the land. O Lord, make this thy promise good even now! The Lord’s people are to enjoy security in places of the greatest exposure: wilderness and woods are to be as pastures and folds to the flock of Christ.

If the Lord does not change the place for the better,
He will make us the better in the place.

The wilderness is not a place to dwell in, but the Lord can make it so. In the woods one feels bound to watch rather than to sleep, and yet the Lord giveth His beloved sleep even there. Nothing without or within should cause any fear to the child of God. By faith the wilderness can become the suburbs of heaven, and the woods the vestibule of glory.

Ezekiel 37:26 "And I will make a covenant (Lxx = diatheke) of peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant (cp Ge 17:7, 2Sa 23:5, Jer 50:5) with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever (This promised is described and fulfilled in the great name Jehovah Shammah - The LORD is There; cp Zech 6:12, 13).

John MacArthur comments: "This is the New Covenant in full force. Israel has never yet been in a state of perpetual salvation peace; this awaits fulfillment in the future kingdom (Millennial Kingdom) of the Messiah who is the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6)." (MacArthur Study Bible)

Numbers 25:12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him (Phinehas) My covenant (Lxx = diatheke) of peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene) 13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

Psalm 106 while not using the exact term "covenant of peace", does help us understand this covenant with Phinehas...

Ps 106:30 Then Phinehas stood up and interposed; And so the plague was stayed. 31 And it was reckoned to him for righteousness (cp Ge 15:6 - Christ's righteousness was imputed to Phinehas' account; cp Ro 4:6-note - in short Phinehas' works did merit imputation of righteousness. Phinehas was saved by grace through faith), to all generations forever.

Comment: Phinehas is an OT example of "justification by faith". You ask "But where was his faith?" The "works" (action) he undertook because he was jealous for Jehovah (Nu 25:7,8) were an outworking of his faith (cp Ep 2:8, 9-note with Ep 2:10-note for this integral relationship between faith and works). Faith alone saved Phinehas, but the faith that saves is not alone (See James' dissertation on this vitally important topic - Jas 2:14, 15, 16, 17-note, Jas 2:18, 19, 20-note, Jas 2:21, 22, 23-note, Jas 2:24, 25, 26-note).

Malachi 2:5 My covenant (Lxx = diatheke) with him (Aaron of the tribe of Levi) was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

John MacArthur comments: This covenant was made with Aaron of Levi’s line and his descendants. The Jewish priests of Malachi’s day had deceived themselves by claiming the privileges of the covenant, while neglecting the conditions of it, as if God was bound to bless them even while they rejected the obligation to serve Him.

Joshua 9:15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

This "covenant of peace" is distinct from the preceding covenants of peace in that the covenant in Joshua was not divinely but humanly initiated. Apparently without consulting God, Joshua was deceived by the Gibeonites into cutting a covenant of "peace" with the them in which he made an oath not to destroy them but to have them serve as laborers for the Israelites. This treaty committed Israel to come to the defense of their "covenant partners" the Gibeonites if they were threatened by enemies.

the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Ro 14:17-note)

Comment: In context of Romans 14, Paul's point is that a believer's life is not eating or drinking or _____ (fill in the blank = some moral, ethical area not clearly spelled out in Scripture). The kingdom of God does not consist in observing or not observing days, eating or not eating meats, or any other secondary issues of religious scruples. The kingdom of God is not externals but eternals. Peace is the loving tranquility, produced by the Spirit of Christ, that should characterize believers’ relationships with God and each other.

Ray Stedman adds: The world ought to see is peace (Ed: I would add even longs to see it!). That (peace) comes across visibly as a kind of calmness, an inner core of unflappability that is undisturbed by the minor irritations of the moment. It is that quiet and calm assurance that God is present in the situation; that He will work it out for His glory, and therefore, we need not get upset or angry, or vindictive toward someone. It is hard for the world to get that impression of peace and calmness if they see two people screaming at one another over what they disagree on. That does not look very calm. The important thing, therefore, is that you manifest that gift of God, which is peace (shalom).

In Hebrews 12:11 we are reminded that...

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Comment: In the context of divine discipline the writer of Hebrews encourages believers to not think lightly of God's rod of reproof (He 12:5) for ultimately the result is fruit which is born out of a life of righteousness, right conduct before God and man, conduct that has brought into keeping with righteousness by God's hand of discipline. Are you experiencing divine discipline even as you read these notes? If so, don't chaff under the bit so to speak, but accept His loving reproof in anticipation of His promise of shalom to your soul!

The psalmist writes that...

SHALOM
IN JERUSALEM

It is surely no accident that God named His holy city "Jerusalem". While meaning of "Jerusalem" is somewhat debated, especially the first part ("jerus-") which many feel means ‘foundation’. There is more agreement on the second part of the name as a cognate of the word "shalom". Thus Jerusalem is variously translated in modern evangelical references as "city of peace", “possession of peace,” “foundation of peace” "founded peaceful" , and "city of wholeness".  How wonderful that believers shall one day dwell in the "New Jerusalem" (Rev 3:12-note, Re 21:2-note)  eternally at peace and oneness with our great God and Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Psalmist calls on God's people to intercede and to...

Pray (command to pray) for the SHALOM (peace) of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. May SHALOM (peace) be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces." (Ps 122:6, 7)

Play Paul Wilbur's haunting rendition of
SHALOM JERUSALEM
(A different Hebrew version with beautiful pictures)

Comment: This is a most appropriate prayer for Jerusalem ["city of peace"], whose name means peace and is to be the future residence of the God of peace, the Messiah. What a privilege we have today to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! We know that ultimately our pray for the peace of Jerusalem will not be fulfilled when the Prince of Peace returns to bring in His rule of everlasting peace.  Click for live cam of the wailing wall.

Salem (shalem - 08004) is also another name for Jerusalem, as deduced from Psalm 76...

God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. And His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. (Ps 76:1,2)

Years ago I providentially discovered a beautiful song by non-believing Jews which has always prompted my heart to pray for the salvation of the Jews and for the peace of Jerusalem. Play the song and listen carefully to the words of...

Yerushalayim

Spurgeon was right when he said that...

David a man after God's own heart (1Sa 13:14, Acts 13:22, 7:46 where "favor" = grace [charis]) teaches us several truths about shalom in Psalm 29:11 writing that

The LORD (All caps in NASB always = Jehovah) will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless (barak = to endue with power for something - in context the inherent, supernatural power to experience shalom) His people with peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene).

Comment: This verse teaches that true shalom, true peace, true inner harmony, calm, wholeness, etc, is not something we can conjure up or manipulate circumstances in order to produce. In fact, most of us have heard that some of the most powerful "movers and shakers" in the world, have the most trouble sleeping soundly and waking without intense worry! Money and power cannot buy peace. True peace is from Jehovah and thus it is divine not manmade (cp Gal 5:22-note). True peace is a blessing and produces a sense of blessing. True peace is not just for any man or for every man, but as this verse teaches is for "His people" (cp Ro 5:1-note, Php 4:6-note, Php 4:7-note)

Spurgeon comments:  Power was displayed in the hurricane whose course this Psalm so grandly pictures (Ps 29:3, 4, 5); and now, in the cool calm after the storm, that power is promised to be the strength of the chosen ("His people"). He who wings the unerring bolt, will give to his redeemed the wings of eagles; he who shakes the earth with his voice, will terrify the enemies of his saints, and give his children peace. Why are we weak when we have divine strength to flee to?

Why are we troubled
when the Lord's own peace is ours?

Jesus the mighty God is our peace (Jn 14:27, 16:33) -- what a blessing is this today! What a blessing it will be to us in that day of the Lord which will be in darkness and not light to the ungodly! Dear reader, is not this a noble Psalm to be sung in stormy weather? Can you sing amid the thunder? Will you be able to sing when the last thunders are let loose, and Jesus judges quick and dead? If you are a believer, the last verse is your heritage, and surely that will set you singing.

SHALOM AND
INNER CALM

In Isaiah we read about this inner calm in a well know passage...

Isaiah 26:3 The steadfast (primary meaning = to lean upon, maintained, undeviating) of mind (the intents, imagination, plans and purposes formed in one's mind) Thou will keep ( in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. (Is 26:4)

When winds are raging o’er the upper ocean,
And billows wild contend with angry roar,
‘Tis said, far down beneath the wild commotion,
That peaceful stillness reigneth evermore.

Far, far beneath, the noise of tempest dieth,
And silver waves chime ever peacefully,
And no rude storm, how fierce soe’er it flieth,
Disturbs the Sabbath of that deeper sea.

So to the heart that knows Thy love,
O Purest, There is a temple, sacred evermore,
And all the babble of life’s angry voices
Dies in hushed silence at its peaceful door.

Far, far away, the roar of passion dieth,
And loving thoughts rise calm and peacefully,
And no rude storm, how fierce soe’er it flieth,
Disturbs the soul that dwell, O Lord, in Thee.
--Harriet Beecher Stowe

KJV = Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3KJV)

Comment: The effecting agent is faith. This person believes that Jehovah is their everlasting Rock and thus their mindset is steady and undeviating fixed on Him. The result is shalom, shalom, divine double peace! The ''steadfast of mind'' watch carefully what they allow through the gates of their mind...so they scrutinize carefully especially what they see (cf. Job 31:1) and what they hear.  Perfect peace in Hebrew is literally peace, peace. What is "perfect peace?" What is this complete sense of well being and wholeness that God offers us in the concept of shalom? In the NT Paul describes it as "peace that passes all human understanding" [Php 4:7-note].

Remember that in the context God is speaking to Israel and the specific application is to the faithful in Israel during the end times. While some feel the context favors this time as the horrible time of Jacob's Trouble, the Great Tribulation, others feel this refers to the Millennium, but the principle certainly is true for all believers of all ages. Praise The Lord!) (See related resource: A C Gaebelein's article - The Blessings of the Coming Age - Peace on Earth)

Spurgeon: O friends, he that hath this perfect peace is the richest man in the world! What are broad acres if you have a troubled spirit? What are millions of gold, laid by in the bank, if you have no God to go to in the hour of distress? What would it be to be a prince, a king, an emperor, if still you had no hope for the hereafter, no treasure of eternal love? I, therefore, charge you to get and keep this “peace,” — this perfect peace. (Sermon - Isaiah 26:3 - The Song of a City, and the Pearl of Peace)

Alexander Maclaren: And then, still further, this faithful, steadfast heart and mind, kept by God, is a mind filled with deepest peace. There is something very beautiful in the prophet’s abandoning the attempt to find any adjective of quality which adequately characterises the peace of which he has been speaking. He falls back upon the expedient which is the confession of the impotence of human speech worthily to portray its subject when he simply says, ‘Thou shalt keep in peace, peace...because he trusteth in Thee.’ The reduplication expresses the depth, the completeness of the tranquility which flows into the heart, Such continuity, wave after wave, or rather ripple after ripple, is possible even for us. For, dear brethren, the possession of this deep, unbroken peace does not depend on the absence of conflict, on distraction, trouble, or sorrow, but on the presence of God. If we are in touch with Him, then our troubled days may be calm, and beneath all the surface tumult there may be a centre of rest. The garrison in some high hill-fortress looks down upon the open where the enemy’s ranks are crawling like insects across the grass, and scarcely hears the noise of the tumult, and no arrow can reach the lofty hold. So, up in God we may dwell at rest whate’er betide. Strange that we should prefer to live down amongst the unwalled villages, which every spoiler can harry and burn, when we might climb, and by the might and the magic of trust in the Lord bring round about ourselves a wall of fire which shall consume the poison out of the evil, even whilst it permits the sorrow to do its beneficent work upon us! (Sermon on Isaiah 26:3 - The Inhabitant of the Rock)

Related Resource: J R Miller's 18 page pamphlet entitled "In Perfect Peace"

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
Refrain

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.
Refrain

David undoubtedly experienced deep anxiety as Saul sought to kill him even as friends and family betrayed him. And yet even forsaken and face to face with death, David could declare with confidence (Can I do likewise?)...

Ps 4:8 In peace (shalom) I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone, O LORD, dost make me to dwell in safety.

Comment: How is David able to sleep in peace? One answer suffices - Jehovah-Jesus Who Himself declares "Seek (present imperative = command to make this your habitual practice. Why? Because we are prone to wander and stand in continual need of His provision of perfect peace! So seek Jesus morning, noon and night beloved. You won't be disappointed.) first His kingdom (and the King) and His righteousness; and all these things (including peace that passes all human understanding) shall be added to you." (Mt 6:33-note). I could imagine David laying his head down at night with the words of the following old hymn in his heart and lips (perhaps you need to sing it also this evening before you fall asleep that you might "in peace ...lie down and sleep")...

It Is Well with My Soul
by Horatio Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

John Flavel: He resolves that sinful fears of events shall not rob him of his inward quiet, nor torture his thoughts with anxious presages; he will commit all his concerns into that faithful fatherly hand that had hitherto wrought all things for him; and he means not to lose the comfort of one night's rest, nor bring the evil of tomorrow upon the day; but knowing in whose hand he was, wisely enjoys the sweet felicity of a resigned will. Now this tranquility of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration of providence as by anything whatsoever.

C H Spurgeon: Sweet Evening Hymn! I shall not sit up to watch through fear, but I will lie down; and then I will not lie awake listening to every rustling sound, but I will lie down in peace and sleep, for I have nought to fear. He that hath the wings of God above him needs no other curtain. Better than bolts or bars is the protection of the Lord. Armed men kept the bed of Solomon, but we do not believe that he slept more soundly than his father, whose bed was the hard ground, and who was haunted by blood thirsty foes. Note the word only, which means that God alone was his keeper, and that though alone, without man's help, he was even then in good keeping, for he was "alone with God." A quiet conscience is a good bedfellow. How many of our sleepless hours might be traced to our untrusting and disordered minds. They slumber sweetly whom faith rocks to sleep. No pillow so soft as a promise; no coverlet so warm as an assured interest in Christ.

O Lord, give us this calm repose on thee, that like David we may lie down in peace, and sleep each night while we live; and joyfully may we lie down in the appointed season, to sleep in death, to rest in God!

Dr. Hawker's reflection upon this Psalm is worthy to be prayed over and fed upon with sacred delight. We cannot help transcribing it.

Reader! let us never lose sight of the Lord Jesus while reading this Psalm. He is the Lord our righteousness; and therefore, in all our approaches to the mercy seat, let us go there in a language corresponding to this which calls Jesus the Lord our righteousness. While men of the world, from the world are seeking their chief good, let us desire his favour which infinitely transcends corn and wine, and all the good things which perish in the using. Yes, Lord, thy favour is better than life itself. Thou causest them that love thee to inherit substance, and fillest all their treasure.

"Oh! thou gracious God and Father, hast thou in such a wonderful manner set apart one in our nature for thyself? Hast thou indeed chosen one out of the people? Hast thou beheld him in the purity of his nature, -- as one in every point Godly? Hast thou given him as the covenant of the people? And hast thou declared thyself well pleased in him? Oh! then, well may my soul be well pleased in him also. Now do I know that my God and Father will hear me when I call upon him in Jesus' name, and when I look up to him for acceptance for Jesus' sake! Yes, my heart is fixed, O Lord, my heart is fixed; Jesus is my hope and righteousness; the Lord will hear me when I call. And henceforth will I both lay me down in peace and sleep securely in Jesus, accepted in the Beloved; for this is the rest wherewith the Lord causeth the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing."

This  quietness of one's soul aspect of shalom is beautifully depicted by the psalmist's words that...

Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Spurgeon's Comment: (See also his sermon on this Psalm - The Lover of God’s Law Filled with Peace) What a charming verse is this! It dwells not with those who perfectly keep the law, for where should such men be found? but with those who love it, whose hearts and hands are made to square with its precepts and demands. These men are ever striving, with all their hearts, to walk in obedience to the law, and though they are often persecuted they have peace, yea, great peace; for they have learned the secret of the reconciling blood, they have felt the power of the comforting Spirit, and they stand before the Father as men accepted. The Lord has given them to feel his peace, which passed all understanding. They have many troubles, and are likely to be persecuted by the proud, but their usual condition is that of deep calm -- a peace too great for this little world to break.

Charles Simeon: Peace in the Scripture use of the term, is not a mere absence of trouble, but an actual state of very sublime enjoyment.

Spurgeon (Faith's Checkbook: Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4): YES, a true love for the great Book will bring us great peace from the great God and be a great protection to us. Let us live constantly in the society of the law of the Lord, and it will breed in our hearts a restfulness such as nothing else can. The Holy Spirit acts as a Comforter through the Word and sheds abroad those benign influences which calm the tempests of the soul. Nothing is a stumbling-block to the man who has the Word of God dwelling in him richly (Col 3:16-note). He takes up his daily cross (Mk Lk 9:23), and it becomes a delight. For the fiery trial he is prepared and counts it not strange, so as to be utterly cast down by it (cp 1Pe 4:12KJV-note). He is neither stumbled by prosperity, as so many are, nor crushed by adversity, as others have been: for he lives beyond the changing circumstances of external life. When his Lord puts before him some great mystery of the faith which makes others cry, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (Jn 6:60KJV) the believer accepts it without question, for his intellectual difficulties are overcome by his reverent awe of the law of the Lord, which is to him the supreme authority to which he joyfully bows.

Lord, work in us this love,
this peace, this rest, this day. Amen

George Horne: Amidst the storms and tempests of the world, there is a perfect calm in the breasts of those, who not only do the will of God, but "love" to do it. They are at peace with God, by the blood of reconciliation; at peace with themselves, by the answer of a good conscience, and the subjection of those desires which war against the soul; at peace with all men, by the spirit of charity; and the whole creation is so at peace with them that all things work together for their good. No external troubles can rob them of this "great peace," no "offences" or stumbling blocks, which are thrown in their way by persecution, or temptation, by the malice of enemies, or by the apostasy of friends, by anything which they see, hear of, or feel, can detain, or divert them from their course. Heavenly love surmounts every obstacle, and runs with delight the way of God's commandments.

The truth of this passage begs the question - Do you love God's Word? How is this demonstrated or manifest in your life? Storms will come - they always do - but how are you handling them? Where do you run when (cp Pr 18:10-note)? Do you have that inner shalom, God gives to those who truly love His Word? If shalom is not your usual experience when the tempests blow, perhaps you need to "test" God's "promise" in this passage!

The first use of shalom in Scripture refers to peace as the tranquility at the time death and thus a state of restful calm, quietude and freedom from disturbance at the time of death (Ge 15:15; cp similar meanings of shalom in  2Ch 34:28, 1Ki 2:6; 2Ki 22:20, Is 57:2).

Genesis 15:15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace (shalom = in tranquility, without concern, Lxx = eirene); you will be buried at a good old age.

Shalom can also convey the following meanings: health (good), wholeness, completeness, happiness, , preservation, prosperity (in a material sense Ps. 72:3.; Is 54:13 = "well being"), tranquility, security, safety.

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend (man of shalom) in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me (Used to describe Judas Iscariot's betrayal of the Messiah - Jn 13:18).

Comment: "Close friend" is literally "man of my peace." We can all understand this sense of shalom for it brings to mind that person with whom we can feel at ease and comfortable. What a beautiful picture of a friend (a "shalom sharer")! On the other hand what a sad commentary on our fallen nature that one who we once called friend would turn against us! It is interesting that "friend" is a covenant term (speaking of a solemn binding relationship) but here reflects the fact that men break covenant. Praise God that He is not a man that He should lie and ever break covenant!

Psalm 72:3 Let the mountains bring peace (shalom, Lxx = eirene) to the people, and the hills, in righteousness.

Comment (Spurgeon): Thence, aforetime, rushed the robber bands which infested the country; but now the forts there erected are the guardians of the land, and the watchmen publish far and near the tidings that no foe is to be seen. Where Jesus is there is peace, lasting, deep, eternal. Even those things which were once our dread, lose all terror when Jesus is owned as monarch of the heart: death itself, that dark mountain, loses all its gloom. Trials and afflictions, when the Lord is with us, bring us an increase rather than a diminution of peace. And the little hills, by righteousness. Seeing that the rule of the monarch was just, every little hill seemed clothed with peace. Injustice has made Palestine a desert; if the Turk and Bedouin were gone, the land would smile again; for even in the most literal sense, justice is the fertilizer of lands, and men are diligent to plough and raise harvests when they have the prospect of eating the fruit of their labours. In a spiritual sense, peace is given to the heart by the righteousness of Christ; and all the powers and passions of the soul are filled with a holy calm, when the way of salvation, by a divine righteousness, is revealed. Then do we go forth with joy, and are led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills break forth before us into singing....When Jesus Christ comes a second time to this earth, we shall see these prophecies literally fulfilled; and until then we delight to know that the reign of Christ is a reign of peace.

Psalm 34:14 Depart (Lxx = ekklino) from evil and do good; Seek peace (shalom; Lxx = eirene) and pursue (Lxx = dioko = chase after it) it. (Note: 4 commands in red)

Spurgeon's Comment: Depart from evil. Go away from it. Not merely take your hands off, but yourself off. Live not near the pest house. Avoid the lion's lair, leave the viper's nest. Set a distance between yourself and temptation.

And do good. Be practical, active, energetic, persevering in good.

Positive virtue promotes negative virtue;
he who does good is sure to avoid evil.

Seek peace. Not merely prefer it, but with zeal and care endeavour to promote it. Peace with God, with thine own heart, with thy fellow man, search after this as the merchantman after a precious pearl. Nothing can more effectually promote our own happiness than peace; strife awakens passions which eat into the heart with corroding power. Anger is murder to one's own self, as well as to its objects.

And pursue it. Hunt after it, chase it with eager desire. It may soon be lost, indeed, nothing is harder to retain, but do your best, and if enmity should arise let it be no fault of yours. Follow after peace when it shuns you; be resolved not to be of a contentious spirit. The peace which you thus promote will be returned into your own bosom, and be a perennial spring of comfort to you.

Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, "The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity (Lxx = eirene) of His servant."

Comment: God takes delight in the wholeness and the total well-being of His servant.

Spurgeon comments: What true prosperity may be we are not always best able to judge. We must leave that in Jesus' hand; he will not fail to rule all things for our highest good.

"For by his saints it stands confessed,
That what he does is always best."

Psalm 37:11 But the humble will inherit the land (see Mt 5:5-note) and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. (Lxx = eirene)

Spurgeon's Comment: There is a great fulfillment of that prophecy yet to come in the latter days, but it is fulfilled even now....Peace they love and peace they shall have. If they find not abundance of gold, abundance of peace will serve their turn far better. Others find joy in strife, and thence arises their misery in due time, but peace leads on to peace, and the more a man loves it the more shall it come to him. In the halcyon (Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy) period of the latter days, when universal peace shall make glad the earth, the full prophetic meaning of words like these will be made plain (See description of this time in Millennium).

Matthew Henry rightly asked...

Peace floods the soul
when Christ rules the heart

Jeremiah has a number of interesting uses of shalom...

Jeremiah 6:14 “They have healed (bandaged, dressed the wound) the brokenness (Lxx = suntrimma = that which is broken or shattered, ruin, destruction) of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.  (false prophets in Jer 14:13, Jer 23:17 cp similar descriptions in Ps 28:3, Ps 35:20 Ezek 13:10, 16)

Morris: The false prophets of Judah were assuring the people that they were safe in their sins, only "slightly" rebuking them, just as do many modern religious leaders. There may be outward freedom from calamity for a time, but there can be no real peace among men until there is true peace between men and God.

Disciple Study Bible: Peace is more than empty words and false promises. Even preachers get caught in the worldly desire for money and popularity, promising prosperity to people facing judgment. Peace can come only when God's people live peaceably with one another instead of imitating the world. See Ps 34:14.

Spurgeon's sermon on Jer 6:14: A Blast of the Trumpet Against False Peace

Jeremiah 8:11 "They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace.

Comment: the idea of giving a greeting of shalom when there is in actuality no shalom is another way of God's prophet saying that in face of Judah's rebellion against God and idolatrous harlotry the false prophets were liars for there was no true well-being, prosperity, or safety among the people as they would soon come to experience at the hand's of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Spurgeon's sermon on Jer 8:11: Healed or Deluded? Which?

Jeremiah 9:8 "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly (in his heart) he sets an ambush for him.

Jeremiah 12:5 (God is encouraging His prophet Jeremiah) If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace (safe land), How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

Criswell comments: Instead of promising Jeremiah better days ahead, God describes the prophet's present unbearable conditions as only a foretaste of worse experiences to come. A metaphor of athletic strength is used to show the prophet that his struggle has just begun. "Wearied" is la^ah (Heb.) and could be rendered "exhausted." The "footmen" may refer to the other prophets that Jeremiah had encountered, while the "horses" may allude to the military might of Babylon.

Spurgeon's sermon on Jer 12:5: Are You Prepared to Die?

Jer 29:7 'And seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.'

Comment: Shalom (Lxx = eirene) is used three times in Jeremiah's charge to those who would taken captive to Babylon to pray for their captors. By way of application, this is a great prayer to pray for your place of employment, especially when most of them are not believers.

Spurgeon (Faith's Checkbook): THE principle involved in this text would suggest to all of us who are the Lord’s strangers and foreigners that we should be desirous to promote the peace and prosperity of the people among whom we dwell. Specially should our nation and our city be blessed by our constant intercession. An earnest prayer for your country and other countries is well becoming in the mouth of every believer. Eagerly let us pray for the great boon of peace, both at home and abroad. If strife should cause bloodshed in our streets, or if foreign battle should slay our brave soldiers, we should all bewail the calamity; let us therefore pray for peace and diligently promote those principles by which the classes at home and the races abroad may be bound together in bonds of amity. We ourselves are promised quiet in connection with the peace of the nation, and this most desirable; for thus we can bring up our families in the fear of the Lord and also preach the gospel without let or hindrance. Today let us be much in prayer for our country, confessing national sins, and asking for national pardon and blessing, for Jesus’ sake.

Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Comment: This message was sent in a letter from Jeremiah to the Jews in Babylon who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Life couldn’t have looked worse to them - their nation had been defeated and plundered, undoubtedly many of their friends and loved ones had been killed or seriously hurt, and they were prisoners in a foreign land. In the midst of these terrible circumstances, however, God gives a message of hope - he has great plans for them, as individuals and as a nation.

By way of application, God has the same basic message for believers today (and we are not here to the church as the "spiritual Israel" which is grave interpretation error or else God's promises to the Abraham and to his offspring the Jews are void and God is not faithful to His promises) Are you suffering sorrow or loneliness (Maybe your mate has told you they just don't love you anymore). Are you struggling through difficult times? If you are a child of the Living God, take heart and take hope for your Heavenly Father has good thoughts and plans for your life!

Spurgeon's sermon on Jer 12:5: God’s Thoughts of Peace and Our Expected End

Jeremiah 33:6 'Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.

Comment: This is God's promise of restoration a reflection of His grace and mercy.

Martens writes that...

Shalom is a repeated theme in Jeremiah. A group of prophets, whom Jeremiah branded as deceitful, promised shalom or peace (Je 14:13, 14.; Je 23:17). This promise for shalom was made in the face of gross unrighteousness in Judah and despite the approach of an enemy power, the Babylonians. But shalom was not in store for God’s people because of their social injustices and their disregard for, even defiance of, God. With society so thoroughly characterized by evil, the prophetic word could not be one of peace (Je 28:9). God had withdrawn his shalom from his people. To make that point memorable, Jeremiah was not to socialize by attending funerals or joyous celebrations (Je 16:5). Yet God desired to bless his people with shalom. Following judgment on his people, he declares, “For I know the plans that I have for you … plans for welfare [shalom] and not calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Je 29:11). In the book of comfort is included the promise, “I will bring health [shalom] and healing to it. …” (Je 33:6). (Believers church Bible commentary)

Shalom can refer to the absence of strife between people (Ge 26:29), nations (1Ki 4:24), and between God and man (Ps 85:8). In this latter sense, it will be the hallmark of the future messianic kingdom (Ps 29:11; Is 2:4; 9:6, 7; 52:7; 54:13; 57:19; 66:12; Ezek. 37:26; Hag. 2:9).

Nahum 1:15 - Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely. (Nah 1:15)

Comment: The proclamation of “peace” (šālôm) is replete with the promise of God’s redemption and, as noted previously...(Ed: See parallel in Is 52:7 where "good news" = announced deliverance from Babylon). The picture is one of joyous and complete restoration of the Lord’s people and their legitimate worship. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books: Zondervan Publishing or  computer version)

Shalom refers to "prosperity" in a material sense - Is 66:12; Je 33:6ff. refer to this kind of peace as the gift of God.

In a negative context we read the antithesis of "holistic health"...

There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD. (Is 48:22; cp Is 57:21- Spurgeon's sermon on Is 57:20,21 = Restless! Peaceless!)

In a similar usage we see that the withdrawal of God's peace is viewed as a curse...

For thus says the LORD, "Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares the LORD, "My lovingkindness and compassion. (Jer 16:5)

And my soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. (Lam 3:17)

“The heart where peace abides is like the heaven,
The limpid dome where clouds in sullen might
May come and go; but through each rift appearing
The blue shines forth the same, serene and bright.

“Oh, send our hearts this blessed peace, great Father!
That thus endowed and cheered through Thy dear love,
This life become to us, Thy faulty children,
A foretaste of the better life above.”

SHALOM:
GREETING

Shalom is also found in formulae such as the greeting "Peace be..." (cf. Ge. 43:23; Jdg. 6:23; Isa. 57:19). To wish one shalom implies a blessing (2Sa 15:27), but to withhold it implies a curse (1Ki 2:6). Someone has said to bestow a greeting of shalom is to say something like “May things be the way they ought to be.” or " "may all things be prosperous with you." Shalom always means everything which makes for a man’s highest good. In the east when one man says shalom to another, he does not mean that he wishes for the other man only the absence of evil things but he wishes for him the presence of all good things.

Shalom is also used in farewells, somewhat like a benediction "Go in peace" (cf. Ex 4:18; Nu 6:26; Jdg 18:6; 1Sa 20:42; 2Ki 5:19, Ps 125:5, This Hebraic use is carried over into the New Testament  (See Mk 5:34, Lk 7:50, 8:48, Jas 2:16 - last use = hypocritical farewell!).

Probably the most famous and beautiful benediction is found in Numbers where we Moses records these familiar words...

The LORD lift up His countenance (face) on you, and give you peace (shalom, Lxx = eirene) ("total well being").' (Numbers 6:26)

Comment (NET Bible Notes): The last line of the blessing also has first the image and then the parallel interpretation – for God to lift up his face is for God to give peace. The idea of the fallen face is one of anger (see Ge 4:6, 7); and the idea of the hidden face is that of withholding support, favor, or peace (see Dt 31:18; Ps 30:8; Ps 44:25). If God lifts his face toward his people, it means he has given them peace – peace, prosperity, completeness, health, safety, general well-being, and the like.

Expositor's Bible Commentary: The Hebrew word šālôm (lit., “shalom”; NIV, “peace”) is here seen in its most expressive fullness, not just as an absence of war, but as the positive state of rightness and the fullness of well being. This kind of peace comes only from the Lord. The expression “turn his face” suggests pleasure and affection. This terminology has the functional equivalent of the word “smile.” Here the people are led to pray that the Lord will turn his face toward them in a gracious smile! ...We may thus translate this text: “May Yahweh smile on you, and may he grant you well being!”

Spurgeon sermons related to Numbers 6:26: Two Choice Benedictions and Blessing of the High Priest

Jdg 6:23 The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace (Jehovah Shalom). To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Comment: Five times in the New Testament we encounter the beautiful name the God of Peace, the Source of true peace personified in the OT name Jehovah Shalom -- (See Ro 15:33-note; Ro 16:20-note; Php 4:9-note; 1Th 5:23-note; He 13:20-note)

Do you know the God of Peace as your Lord and Savior? If not consider reading Billy Graham's online book entitled how to have Peace With God.

Outside of Christ there is no peace
Only those in Christ know peace

Mounce...

About 25x in the OT šālîm is used a specific greeting. David instructs his men to greet Nabal with, “Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!” (1Sa 25:6NIV; lit., “A life of peace to you and to your house, peace, and to all which is to you, peace”).

Vine adds that...

Salem is a very important term in the Old Testament and has maintained its place in Mishnaic, rabbinic, and modern Hebrew. In Israel today, people greet the newcomer and each other with the words mah shlomka, ("what is your peace," "how are you doing,") and they ask about the "peace" ("well-being") of one's family.

The Peace of Blessing - The wish expressed to others in a greeting for spiritual and physical prosperity, security, and safety as seen in the expression, “Peace, friend” or “Shalom.”

When we do not have peace, it is because somewhere we are not appropriating or resting in God’s grace. Remember, peace does not mean the absence of pain or hurt. It means that in our pain our hurt, we have peace because we know the Lord and we know He is in control. And ultimately it is a manifestation of the supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Ga 5:22-note).

Peace, Troubled Soul
by Samuel Ecking

Peace, troubled soul, thou need’st not fear;
Thy great Provider still is near;
Who fed thee last, will feed thee still:
Be calm, and sink into His will.

The Lord, who built the earth and sky,
In mercy stoops to hear thy cry;
His promise all may freely claim;
Ask and receive in Jesus’ Name.

Without reserve give Christ your heart,
Let Him His righteousness impart;
Then all things else He’ll freely give;
With Him you all things shall receive.

Thus shall the soul be truly blest,
That seeks in God His only rest;
May I that happy person be,
In time and in eternity.

SHALOM:
ABSENCE OF CONFLICT
PRESENCE OF SECURITY

Peace in the sense of "absence of military conflict" - Dt. 2:26, 20:10;11 Jdg 4:17; 1Kgs. 2:5; 4:24; Eccl. 3:8; Isa. 39:8. Lev 26:6

1Kings 4:24 For he had dominion over everything west of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace on all sides around about him.

Comment: Here shalom reflects the safety of the nation in the peaceful and prosperous days of Solomon when the land and its neighbors had been subdued. With control over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates, Solomon was able to provide peace and security for his people.

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Comment: In Isaiah 9:6 the context finds Israel is in dire straits, having turned away from the one true God, experiencing anything but inner peace and security. Yet despite Israel's spiritual harlotry and apostasy, God through Isaiah speaks a beautiful prophetic promise to "adulterous" Israel (Is this not indicative of the amazing grace and boundless mercy of our great God!) regarding the Messiah Jesus, Jehovah Shalom. Click He Shall Be Called for lyrics and tune of a wonderful chorus based on Isaiah 9:6. It is ironic that Israel had rejected their true King, Jehovah, for a human king with one of the hoped for benefits being the security of shalom! But the God of everlasting lovingkindnesses will graciously give them a leader Who is characterized by shalom for He is the very personification of shalom (cp Ep 2:14-note). Then Israel would experience that deep inner fulfillment (of shalom), that abiding sense of well being (the "all is well" of shalom), true freedom from internal anxiety (promised and found only in shalom), harmony in all relationships (typified by shalom), absence of war (the national peace of shalom), the full realization of "the smile of God" and His favor (the shalom of Nu 6:26). All of these aspects of shalom will come to final fulfillment and be consummated in the glorious, everlasting kingdom of the Prince of Peace when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom (read a Scriptural description of this great future event) which He governs with shalom.

Haggai 2:9 'The latter glory of this house (reference to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem) will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the Jehovah Sabaoth ( LORD of hosts or of armies)."

Comment: If one takes a literal approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures, this passage describes the shalom that will exist during the Millennial Kingdom. It is notable that true peace was not associated with the rebuilt Temple under Zerubbabel or Herod, or the false peace associated with the Jewish Temple rebuilt during Daniel's Seventieth Week (see chart) so this description has to refer to a future temple during the Millennium, one described in great detail in Ezekiel 40-48. Notice also that shalom is a gift from God, and is not the work of man and such is always true of genuine, lasting peace, whether national or personal.

Henry Morris comments: This can only be a reference to the future millennial temple, for it was never accomplished in the restoration temple or in any other since. Furthermore, in this future temple--and not before-Christ will finally "give peace" to the world. (Morris, Henry: Defenders Study Bible Notes Online)

Job 5:24 "And you will know that your tent is secure (shalom), for you will visit your abode ("when you inspect your fold" or "habitation") and fear no loss ("you will not be missing anything").

Comment: The context Job 5:19, 20, 21, 22, 23 describes the immunity from trouble that Job would enjoy if he were restored to peace with God (thus reasons one of his sorry comforters - the statement is true but not necessary true of Job and his relationship to God!). In this verse shalom speaks of the peace within one's household and the safety of one's homestead when one is in right (cp "righteous") relationship with God.

Genesis 26:29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.'

Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words writes that the peace signified by shalom...

...is more than the mere absence of war or strife. It describes a peace that is positive; a time, place, and condition that features love, righteousness, calmness, political and moral uprightness and much more. It is a word reserved for those who walk with God in a positive relationship. The wicked person, according to Isaiah, does not and cannot know the way of peace (Is 59:8). God speaks of the restoration and glory of His restored people in Zion. One feature that the new community will have is aptly described metaphorically in the words “peace and righteousness will be your leaders,” (Isa. 60:17NLT) or “I will make peace] your governor” (Is 60:17NIV). King David’s thirty mighty men wish “success, success, success”—shalom each time, upon David (1Chr 12:18). When God’s shalom is upon His people they are in the highest possible state of His grace. God’s coming King in Zion will proclaim “peace” to the nations (Zech. 9:10), a “peace” (shalom) that means well being, rest, and security will be with God’s people. When Jesus stood among His disciples after His resurrection, He said “Peace be with you” (NIV, KJV). He used the Greek word eirene, which is the New Testament equivalent to shalom. He was giving the deepest level and meaning of shalom to His followers. And, John reiterated that the peace Jesus gave was Jesus’ own peace, not the peace of the world (John 14:27; 16:33; 20:21). Paul notes that a mind filled with the Holy Spirit has life and peace (Ro 8:6). (Carpenter, Eugene E.; Comfort, Philip W - Holman Treasury of Key Bible words: Broadman & Holman Publishers) (Bolding added)

Charles Wesley sums up the God-focused nature of a believer's peace...

I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

The general meaning behind the root sh-l-m is that of completion & fulfillment & thus of entering into a state of wholeness & unity (oneness) signified by a restored relationship, especially wholeness of the relationship between a person and God. 

Shalom also conveys the sense of being at peace with God and involves more than forgiveness of sin, in that fullness of life, prosperity, and peace with men is the expected result of shalom.

In narrative books shalom typically is used to describe an absence of hostility or strife. In the psalms and the prophets it goes beyond this, so that in at least 2/3 of the biblical references shalom indicates a total fulfillment that comes when individuals experience God's presence.

Shalom can describe a peace can that focuses on security or a sense of safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being, and contentment.

As you study this Hebrew word, keep in mind that shalom means much more than the cessation of violence and hostility. There is considerable difference between  peace and a truce. Former President Herbert Hoover understood this truth as show by his statement that "Peace is not made at the Council table or by treaties, but in the hearts of men." There is no single English word that can truly convey the richness of the meaning of the Hebrew word shalom.

Shalom is used as a greeting and also as a way of inquiring after someone' state of being and conveys the idea of wanting the very best for him in life. Shalom is still used today in Israel in greeting and thus wishing one another well, saying in essence "may all things be prosperous with you." The idea is to be happy, to be whole, to be right with God, fellow humans, and creation.  Shalom always means everything which makes for a man's highest good.

Peace is the opposite of the rivalry, instability, and division brought by envy and ambition.

Someone has well said that

Peace in the Jewish sense is the symphony of life made meaningful through a right relationship with God. (New Geneva study Bible: Thomas Nelson: Nashville)

The Greeks greeted one another with "Grace!" but the Jewish NT writers went one step further in addressing one of the deepest needs of every man by adding "peace" in many of their introductions, substituting "eirene" (see below) for "shalom" (17x).

MacDonald has said that the combination of "grace and peace" is in one sense "in miniature, the gospel for the whole world." (MacDonald, W. Believer's Bible Commentary).

The essence of the gospel is "grace, therefore peace". Through the gospel we are all brought under His grace and therefore have peace with God and peace within. The gospel is not so much about not fighting but about wholeness of life (shalom) as God intended it.

ALL THE OT PASSAGES
THAT USE SHALOM

Shalom - 236x in 210 verses in the NAS and KJV-

Ge 15:15; 26:29, 31; 28:21; 29:6 (2x); Ge 37:4, 14; 41:16; 43:23, 27 (2x), Ge 43:28; 44:17;

Ex 4:18; 18:7, 23; Lev 26:6; Num 6:26; 25:12;

Deut 2:26; 20:10, 11; 23:6; 29:19

Josh 9:15; 10:21;  Jdg 4:17; 6:23, 24; 8:9; 11:13, 31; 18:6, 15; 19:20; 21:13;

1Sa 1:17; 7:14; 10:4; 16:4, 5; 17:18, 22; 20:7, 13, 21, 42; 25:5, 6 (3x), 1Sa 25:35; 29:7; 30:21;

2Sa 3:21, 22, 23; 8:10; 2Sa 11:7 (3x); 2Sa 15:9, 27; 17:3; 18:28, 29, 32; 19:24, 30; 20:9;

1Ki 2:5, 6, 13, 33; 4:24; 5:12; 20:18; 22:17, 27, 28;

2Ki 4:23, 26 (4x); 2Ki 5:19, 21, 22; 9:11, 17, 18, 19, 22, 31; 10:13; 15:10, 13, 14, 15, 20:19; 22:14, 20;

1 Chr 12:17, 18; 18:10; 22:9; 2 Chr 15:5; 18:16, 26, 27; 19:1; 28:12; 34:22, 28;

Ezra 9:12; Esth 2:11; 9:30; 10:3; Job 5:24; 15:21; 21:9; 25:2;

Ezek 7:25; 13:10, 16; 34:25; 37:26; Dan 10:19;

Ps 4:9; 28:3; 29:11; 34:14; 35:20, 27; 37:11, 37; 38:3; 41:9; 55:18, 20; 69:22; 72:3, 7; 73:3; 85:8, 10; 119:165; 120:6f; 122:6, 7, 8; 125:5; 128:6; 147:14;

Pr 3:2, 17; 12:20; Ec 3:8; Song 8:10;

Isa 9:6, 7; 26:3, 12; 27:5; 32:17, 18; 33:7; 38:17; 39:8; 41:3; 45:7; 48:18, 22; 52:7; 53:5; 54:10, 13; 55:12; 57:2, 19, 21; 59:8; 60:17; 66:12;

Jer 4:10; 6:14; 8:11, 15; 9:8; 12:5, 12; 13:19; 14:13, 19; 15:5; 16:5; 20:10; 23:17; 25:37; 28:9; 29:7, 11; 30:5; 33:6, 9; 34:5; 38:4, 22; 43:12; Lam 3:17;

Ezek 7:25; 13:10, 16; 34:25; 37:26; Da 10:19;

Obad 1:7; Mic 3:5; 5:5; Nah 1:15; Hag 2:9; Zech 6:13; 8:10, 12, 16, 19; 9:10; Mal 2:5, 6

Shalom while most commonly translated as "peace" (155x in NAS) is rendered by a number of English words in the NAS - close(2), ease(1), favorable(1), friend*(1), friendly terms(1), friends*(2), greet(1), greet*(5), greeted*(1), health(1), how(1), Peace(2), peace(153), peaceably(1), peaceful(2), peacefully(3), perfect peace(1), prosperity(3), rose(1), safe(2), safely(7), safety(6), secure(1), state(1), trusted(1), welfare(14), well(17), well-being(5), who were at peace(1), wholly(1).

Peace Illustrated - Jim Walton was translating the NT for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace. During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was livid because of the mix-up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief's diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant, and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace. To have peace with God means that there is nothing--no sin, no guilt, no condemnation--that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ (Ro 5:1-note). Do you have "one heart" with God today?

R. C. Sproul comments...

Shalom...first of all means an interlude of safety from the ravages of warfare. The insecurity that comes from war made its mark on these (Hebrew) people. They looked for the day when the swords would be beaten into plowshares (Micah 4:3). The Old Testament concept of peace ascends into a theological vision. It is a vision of a new relationship between God and us, and with each other: a relationship of friendship. In sin we are estranged from God (Ge 3:8, 9, 10, Ro 5:12-note), but in Christ we have peace with God....The fruit of peace with God is peace with others (Gal 5:22-note)....Too often we desire to be the recipients of joy and peace. We wait for it to come to us through other people and circumstances. However, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” (Mt 5:9-note) suggesting we should initiate peace. Anticipate how you can actively bring peace and joy to a situation, relationship, or task. (Sproul, R.: Before the face of God )

The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology has a nice summary of shalom:

"The biblical concept of peace...rests heavily on the Hebrew root "sh-l-m", which means to be complete or to be sound. The verb conveys both a dynamic and a static meaning—to be complete or whole or to live well. The noun had many nuances, but can be grouped into four categories:

(1) shalom as wholeness of life or body (i.e., health);

(2) shalom as right relationship or harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant (see covenant of peace in Nu 25:12,13; Is 54:10; Ezek 34:25,26) and, when related to Yahweh, the covenant was renewed or maintained with a peace offering;

(3) shalom as prosperity, success, or fulfillment (Lev 26:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9); and

(4) shalom as victory over one's enemies or absence of war. Shalom was used in both greetings and farewells. It was meant to act as a blessing on the one to whom it was spoken: May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and victory. As an adjective, it expressed completeness and safety. In the New Testament, the Greek word eirene is the word most often translated by the word “peace.” Although there is some overlap in their meanings, the Hebrew word shalom is broader in its usage, and, in fact, has greatly influenced the New Testaments use of eirene."

“God hath not promised
Skies ever blue,
Flower strewn pathways,
Always for you.

God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.”

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says that shalom...

Is a condition of freedom from disturbance, whether outwardly, as of a nation from war or enemies, or inwardly, within the soul. The Hebrew word is shalom (both adjective and substantive), meaning, primarily, “soundness,” “health,” but coming also to signify “prosperity,” well-being in general, all good

in relation to both man and God. In early times, to a people harassed by foes, peace was the primary blessing. In Psalm 122:7, we have “peace” and “prosperity,” and in 35:27; 73:3, shalom is translated “prosperity.” In 2Samuel 11:7 the King James Version, David asked of Uriah “how Joab did” (margin “of the peace of Joab”), “and how the people did (the Revised Version (British and American) “fared,” literally, “of the peace of the people”), and how the war prospered” (literally, “and of the peace (welfare) of the war”).

1. Shalom was the common friendly greeting, used in asking after the health of anyone; also in farewells (Genesis 29:6, “Is it well with him?” (“Is there peace to him?”); 43:23, “Peace be to you”; 43:27, “He asked them of their welfare (of their peace)”; Judges 6:23, “Yahweh said unto him, Peace be unto thee”; 18:15 (the King James Version “saluted him,” margin “Hebrew asked him of peace,” the Revised Version (British and American) “of his welfare”); Judges 19:20, etc.). See also GREETING.

2. Peace from enemies (implying prosperity) was the great desire of the nation and was the gift of God to the people if they walked in His ways (Leviticus 26:6; Numbers 6:26, “Yahweh lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”; Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 26:12, etc.). To “die in peace” was greatly to be desired (Genesis 15:15; 1 Kings 2:6; 2 Chronicles 34:28, etc.).

3. Inward peace was the portion of the righteous who trusted in God (Job 22:21, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace (shalam)”; Psalm 4:8; 85:8, “He will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints”; 119:165; Proverbs 3:2, 17; Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace (Hebrew “peace, peace”), whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee”; Malachi 2:5); also outward peace (Job 5:23, 24; Proverbs 16:7, etc.).

4. Peace was to be sought and followed by the righteous (Psalm 34:14, “Seek peace, and pursue it”; Zechariah 8:16, 19, “Love truth and peace”).

5. Peace should be a prominent feature of the Messianic times (Isaiah 2:4; 9:6, “Prince of Peace”; 11:6; Ezekiel 34:25; Micah 4:2–4; Zechariah 9:10).

Nathan Stone in his work Names of God (recommended) has some great insights on Peace or Shalom:

This word is one of the most significant in the Old Testament, its various shades of meaning harmonizing with the doctrine of the atonement as the basis of peace with God. It is translated sometimes as "whole," as in Dt 27:6: "Thou shalt build the altar of Jehovah thy God of whole ["uncut" in NASB = related verb shalem] stones." As "finished (Aramaic word "shelam" from Hebrew shalam) the same word is used in Da 5:26: "God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished (Aramaic word "shelam" from Hebrew shalam) it ["put an end" NASB]." So Solomon "finished" (shalam) the temple (1Ki 9:25). As "full" it is used in Ge 15:16: "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. ["complete {shalam}" in NASB]" It is used in the sense of making good a loss and is translated as "make good" in Ex 21:34; 22:5, 6, and in other similar passages in the laws of Israel relating to losses inflicted by carelessness. Thus also it is translated as restitution or repay.

In the physical and material sense of wholeness or completeness it is translated as "welfare" and "well." In Ge 43:27 Joseph inquires concerning the welfare of his brothers, and using the same word again in the same verse asks if their father is well.. So Joab in 2Sa 20:9, before dealing the treacherous and fatal blow, asks Amasa, "Art thou in health [NASB "well"] my brother?" It is quite frequently used as "render" and "pay" or "perform" in the sense of fulfilling or completing obligations. This is particularly true of vows rendered to the Lord. "pay thy vows unto the most High," says the psalmist (Ps 50:14). "When thou shalt vow a vow unto Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it: for Jehovah thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee" (Dt. 23:21). On the contrary, "the wicked borroweth and payeth not again" (Ps 37:21). It is translated "requite" and "recompense" in a few instances. As the One who deals justly and makes right, Jehovah says in Dt 32:35, "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense [shillem]." (Stone, Nathan: Names of God. Moody - Online Book)

The basic idea underlying all the various translations of shalom is a harmony of relationship or a reconciliation based upon the completion of a transaction, the payment of a debt, the giving of satisfaction. Therefore this word is most often and most appropriately translated "peace". It expressed the deepest desire and need of the human heart. It represented the greatest measure of contentment and satisfaction in life.

Shalom is the word used in "peace offering." The peace offering was one of the blood sacrifices of which the shed blood was the atonement on which reconciliation and peace were based (Lev 3; Lev 7:11‑21). In the peace offering this restoration of fellowship between God and man, broken by sin, but now atoned for by the shed blood, was indicated by the fact that both God and man, priest and people, partook of the offering. The various shades of meaning contained in this word all indicate that every blessing, temporal and spiritual, is included in restoring man to that peace with God which was lost by the fall."

The LORD bless you and keep you
 The LORD make His face shine upon you & be gracious to you
 The LORD lift up His countenance on you & give you SHALOM. 
(Nu 6:24, 25, 26)

Resources Related to Shalom - Peace:

Concept of "Rest" in the Bible
Fear, How to Handle It
Worry - What is it?
Anxiety (merimna)
Anxious, be anxious (merimnao) word study

Shalem describes iniquity which was not full or complete (Ge 15:16),  stones which were whole (uncut) (Dt 27:6, Josh 8:31), stones that were whole or finished (for the Temple 1Ki 6:7), a weight that is full (Dt 25:15, Pr 11:1), wages that were full (abounding) (Ru 2:12), a heart that was whole (wholly devoted, complete, perfect - 1Ki 8:61, the antithesis = 1Ki 11:4), an army at full strength (Nah 1:12), a population, as entire or whole (taken captive) (Amos 1:6, 9), of hearts that were whole or undivided, wholly centered on the Lord (see below).

HAVE YOU HAD
A "HEART CHECKUP" RECENTLY?

Beloved, considering that there are 14 uses (>50%) of the adjective shalem in passages dealing with the heart (the "control center" of a our being - see kardia) it would behoove each of us to read over these Scriptures (see list below) prayerfully pondering (meditating) in our own heart (doing a spiritual checkup as to our "heart condition") how we are relating to the LORD God Almighty. Is the condition of our heart one of "shalem" toward God? If the Spirit convicts us of sin (missing the mark of God's will for our life),  then may He also strengthen us in our inner man with the will ("want to") and the power (Php 2:13-note) so that we may be enabled to repent and return to Jehovah and experience the times of refreshing found only in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Note especially the incredible conditional (what's the condition?) promise associated with 2Chr 16:9...

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars. (2Chr 16:9) (Spurgeon's Sermon = A Lesson from the Life of King Asa)

Shalem describes the work on the Lord’s Temple as finished, perfect or complete (2Chr 8:16). Nothing else was needed for completion. Well, one thing more was in a sense "needed" (perhaps desired is better wording) -- men and women who would worship in Spirit and Truth, with whole hearts. For such as these, the Lord ever seeks (Jn 4:23) and indeed this will be our glorious privilege throughout eternity for John records...

a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7:9-note, Rev 7:10-note)

After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God (Rev 19:1-note)

(In the context of John's vision of the New Heaven and New Earth) And he (an angel) said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God." (Rev 22:9-note)

W E Vine writes...

God demanded total obedience from His people: “Let [their] heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments …” (1Kings 8:61). Solomon failed to meet this requirement because “… his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God” (1Kings 11:4). Hezekiah, on the other hand, protested: “… I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart” (2Kings 20:3).  In business transactions, the Israelites were required to “… have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure …” (Deut. 25:15). (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson or Wordsearch)

Note that Shalem in the KJV is equated with a destination not a description in Ge 33:18KJV  compare translation as safely in Ge 33:18ESV, Ge 33:18NIV, Ge 33:18NLT, Ge 33:18 (NAS). The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge notes that "Shalem (KJV): The word {Shalem,} in the Samaritan {Shalom,} should probably be rendered "in peace," or "in safety;" as it is translated by the Chaldee, Arabic, Coverdale, and Matthewes. Jn 3:23 4:5 Ac 7:16. Smith's Bible Dictionary adds that "Sha'lem (safe). Ge 33:18 Probably not a proper name, but a place. It is certainly remarkable that there should be a modern village hearing the name of Salim three miles east of Nablus, the ancient Shechem."

Shalem - 27 verses in the NAS - This Hebrew word shalem is translated a number of ways in the NAS depending on the contextual use - blameless(1), complete(1), completed(1), completely(1), entire(2), friendly(1), full(4), just(1), perfect(2), prepared(1), safely(1), uncut(2), whole(5), wholeheartedly*(1), wholly devoted(4).

Genesis 15:16 "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

Spurgeon's Sermon on Ge 15:16 = Filling Up the Measure of Iniquity

Comment: The sin of the Amorites had not reached its limit. This speaks of the perfect justice of God Who will not annihilate the Amorites and give the land to Israel until the Amorites were fully deserving of such radical judgment. On the other hand He gives the land to Israel based not on their merit but based upon His unconditional covenant with Abraham.

God often allows evil to run its course, sometimes to the seeming detriment of His people, before He judges it. He is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish—even the depraved Amorites (2Pe 3:9). He also allows evil to come to fruition so that the awful consequences of wickedness can be clear to all. Thus His wrath is demonstrated to be completely righteous (cp Ro 3:26).

NET Note: The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.

Steven Cole writes that Ge 15:16: ...Shows us the great patience of the Lord, who “is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2Pe 3:9-note). Even though it meant that His chosen people would endure 400 years of hardship, God would not let them invade the land and wipe out the wicked people there until those people had filled up their iniquity in His sight. What’s the practical point of God’s prophetic word to Abram here? It is that Abram could endure without seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises in his lifetime, because he was assured by God’s prophetic word. And Abram’s descendants could endure 400 years of bondage in Egypt without doubting God, because they knew that God had predicted it and even ordained it, and that it was working into His sovereign purpose for the nations. And that’s the great value of biblical prophecy for us today. While God’s timetable is not always to our liking, it is always on schedule. While it seems that the wicked are prospering, God is keeping tally of their sins. When His time comes, judgment will fall. He is working all things in history after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11-note)! Even if we as His people suffer persecution or trials, we can trust His sovereign plan and be assured that God will fulfill His promises to His covenant people. Whatever view you take of biblical prophecy, the bottom line is the same: God’s side is gonna win! We can trust Him and be assured that our salvation is secure because His Word reveals His great plan for the future! (See Full Sermon)

Genesis 33:18  Now Jacob came safely (translated as  a proper noun in KJV = "Shalem", Lxx interestingly seems to concur with KJV translating it "Salem", also used in Ge 14:18) to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.

Disciple's Study Bible has an interesting note on this verse: Narrative--History can be written with little direct reference to God. It can describe human emotions--love, jealousy, revenge, grief, anger--roused by emotion-loaded words: defile (Hebrew timme'), Ge 34:5,13,27; Lev 5:3; 11:24-12:5; 15:4-32; Nu 19:7-22; disgraceful (Hebrew nebalah), Ge 34:7; Dt 22:21; Jos 7:15; Jdg 19:23,24; 20:6,10; disgrace (Hebrew cherpah), Ge 34:14; 1Sa 11:2. Biblical history is concerned with the reputation and feelings of God's people and readily shows the scheming, pragmatic side of life. With this people God works in history to secure important worship places like Shechem (Jdg 9; Jos 20:7; 24:1-32; Ps 60:6; Hos 6:9). (Disciple's Study Bible)

W. Griffith-Thomas writes (Note - The reason for this rather lengthy note [on Ge 33:18, 19, 20 and Genesis 32] is to expose you to a work which has called the best devotional commentary on Genesis - Click to see index to Griffith-Thomas' excellent devotional commentary) to: After a time Succoth was left, and Jacob journeyed on. If we read the R. V., he "came in peace to the city of Shechem," which reminds us of his vow (Ge 28:21, "in peace"), although he did not go back to Bethel. In this case Shechem is the name of the owner of the place (Cf. Ge 34:2). If, however, we read the A. V., he "came to Shalem," a city in the country or neighborhood of what was afterwards Shechem or Sychar (John 4:5; Acts 7:16). In pitching his tent "before the city" we see another indication of his low spiritual condition. If he had been true to God he would have recognized his danger in the proximity to the inhabitants of the land. And, as we know, this nearness brought untold trouble upon him.

Then, again, he bought some property there, purchasing the land on which his tent was pitched. He was thus actually buying his own promised possessions, the land assured to him by God! Was this necessary? Surely not. Abraham's purchase was for a very different reason. Why could not Jacob trust God, as Abraham had done? It was because his faith could not rise to the occasion. Jacob's motto—was "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush," and even the intercourse with God had removed it. But that intercourse provided him with the secret and means of victory over it if only he had used the opportunity.

God does not always see fit to remove obstacles from our pathway,
but He always gives power to triumph over them.

Instead, however, of Jacob meeting Esau "in the strength of that meat" received by Peniel, we find him still actuated by fear. Leaving household and cattle as arranged the preceding day (Ge 32:7, 8), he makes a new disposition of his wives and children, placing them in such order that the best-loved are hindermost. Thus he prepares for the worst, still contemplating the possibility, not to say the probability, of Esau's vengeance. The fear of man still brings a snare.

Then, putting himself at the head of his family procession, he goes forward to meet his brother, bowing with very great deference —far in excess, so it would seem, even of the customary Oriental courtesy. He is intent on showing his brother all possible consideration, and apparently means to acknowledge Esau's superior prerogatives. This, after obtaining the birthright and blessing is strange, and perhaps is intended as a tacit acknowledgment of his old sin of craft and deceit. But be this as it may, the response of Esau is very striking. He runs to meet Jacob, and they greet each other amid tokens of genuine feeling. Esau's anger had gone in the rush of emotion on seeing his brother after all those years of separation. Rebekah was quite right in her knowledge of her elder son's feelings. He was impulsive, hasty, passionate, but his anger did not last; there was no brooding revenge, no malevolence. And thus, in an instant, Jacob's fears were proved to be groundless, and all his elaborate precautions for safety seen to be entirely unnecessary.

After making the acquaintance of Jacob's family, Esau naturally asked the meaning of "all this drove" that he had met. He was told that it was a present, "to find grace in the eyes of my lord." But all this obsequiousness also proved quite unnecessary, for Esau refused the present, saying that he already had enough. Jacob thereupon pressed him to take it, urging as his reason that he was grateful for his favorable reception. He felt that just as God had received him graciously, so Esau's favor was now equally evident, and in token of his gratitude he pressed the gift upon him.

It is, however, hardly possible to avoid seeing in this urgency a desire on the part of Jacob to purchase Esau's goodwill. He knew his brother's fickleness, and was therefore determined to take every possible precaution. We cannot but feel that Jacob does not come quite worthily out of this meeting. After Peniel it does not read well. In the face of that guarantee of power and grace we are disappointed to read of further precautions, manifest fear, obvious fawning, and continued planning. Jacob has still to learn the lesson of absolute trust in his God. It is worthy of note that all the recognition of God was on his side (Ge 32:5, 10, 11), not on Esau's; but in spite of it all we feel that he did not remain on the high level of Peniel, or derive all the spiritual power he might have obtained from that memorable occasion of fellowship with God.

1. THE AWFUL POSSIBILITIES OF SPIRITUAL DEGENERATION

Jacob's experiences after Peniel are a solemn reminder that Conversion (Bethel) and Consecration (Peniel) are no guarantees of abiding faithfulness. They need to be followed by Concentration and Continuance.

There are frequent hints throughout Holy Scripture of the ghastly possibilities of spiritual relapse after the most exalted fellowship with God. We think of David's sin after such a revelation as is recorded in 2Sa 7:1-29. We think of Simon Peter's denial after Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:1-28) and after the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-27). And we remember the solemn warning of Heb 5:12, 14, with its revelation of the awful possibility of spiritual senility, of second childhood, (He 5:11, 12). It is possible for one who has had great spiritual insight, received great spiritual gifts, done great spiritual service, to lose all by unfaithfulness. Backsliding is a terrible and awful fact, and sometimes the higher the rise the lower the fall. Spiritual experience, however true and rich, does not exempt from danger; rather does it call for greater watchfulness. "So Daniel continued." The grace of continuance is the greatest need of all. Have we not, perhaps, heard of some servant of God who had been honored and blessed, and afterwards fell into sin and shame? Can we not, perchance, think of some who commenced their Christian life, and it may be their ministry, full of hope and promise, but who are now "unfulfilled prophecies," by reason of lack of faithfulness to the heavenly vision? They have virtually ceased to pray, practically ceased to meditate on the Bible, ceased to be unworldly; they have adopted unworthy methods in their ministry, pandered to worldliness and earthly ambitions, and the result is dullness, darkness, dryness, deadness in life and ministry, souls not being saved, believers not being quickened, everything stale and unprofitable in their service. They are "cast away," not in the sense of losing their salvation, but of having lost their usefulness. They are "disapproved," rejected, set aside. While the regenerate can never become unregenerate, he can, alas! become degenerate, and herein lies one of the gravest perils of the Christian life. Moody once said to Canon Hay Aitken that the one thing he feared most was the loss of his testimony for Christ. "I saw that there was a way to hell even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction."

2. THE SIMPLE SECRET OF SPIRITUAL STABILITY

This lies in obedience to the heavenly vision, faithfulness to the heavenly voice. If only Jacob had kept God first, and refused to listen to the voice of self, how different would have been his record! With absolute trust in God would have come victory over temptation, courage in danger, and preservation from worldliness. We fail because we distrust God, and distrusting we disobey Him. God's grace is sufficient for every emergency, and the light granted at Peniel would have detected every danger and protected from every disaster. Every spiritual victory lifts us to a higher plane of power and blessing, and thus we go on from "strength to strength," from "glory to glory." There is no need for failure, for backsliding, for defeat, but every warrant for progress, power and preservation. We have only to obey the vision vouchsafed to us, to appropriate the grace provided for us, in order to experience stability, strength and ever-growing satisfaction, to the glory and praise of God. (Griffith-Thomas' excellent - Devotional Commentary on Genesis 33:1-20)

Genesis 34:21 (Context - Jacob's daughter Dinah has been defiled by the Shechem and Jacob's sons deceived he and his father Hamor, Ge 34:13, demanding that the pagans be circumcised Ge 34:17. Hamor and his son Shechem told the men at the city gate...) "These men are friendly ("peaceable" - KJV, "at peace" - NET) with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them.

Deuteronomy 25:15 "You shall have a full (accurate - NET, fair - ESV, Lxx - alethinos = that which conforms to what is true) and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Deuteronomy 27:6 "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut (whole - NET, KJV, Lxx - holokleros = complete in all its parts, intact) stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the LORD your God;

Comment: Whole stones refers to stones in their natural condition, not carved or shaped artificially with tools as specified in Exodus 20:25.

Joshua 8:31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut  (see Dt 27:6) stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

Ruth 2:12-see note May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full (shalem; Lxx = pleres = complete, it pictures the idea of containing within itself all that it will hold) from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."

1 Kings 6:7 The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared (made ready = ESV, ASV, KJV, finished = NLT, dressed = NIV, shaped = NET - Idea is stones chiseled and shaped at the time taken from the quarry; Lxx = akrotomos = adjective describing that which is cut off sharp, lopped off) at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

1 Kings 8:61 "Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted (Perfect = KJV, ASV; wholly true = ESV, wholehearted devotion = NET) to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day."

Comment from NET: Literally = "may your hearts be complete with the LORD our God."

Now that the Temple had been completed King Solomon gave this charge to (prayer, blessing, benediction) the people of Israel. It is ironic and tragic that the truth of this prayer Solomon prayed for the people was one he himself failed to realize as described in the verse below.

1 Kings 11:4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Comment: Beloved, we need to read (Meditate upon) and heed 1Ki 8:61 and 1Ki 11:4! I am 64 as I write and that is old, but not too old for my heart to "fail" to continue in wholehearted devotion to my great God (cp 1Co 10:12). Let us all pray for and partake of the power of God's grace that we might remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of Jehovah, all the days of our "short" life (Amen!) (1Co 15:58-note). This is an issue of our heart, our "control center" if you will and recalls the strategic importance of Solomon's own warning  (!!!) in Pr 4:23-note.

Most believe that Solomon wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes during the last, empty decade of his life. In this book Solomon looks back on all his accomplishments, looks honestly at his passions, and drearily concludes, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Solomon's heart strayed and he lost touch with the Lord. Despite this fact, he concludes what is most likely his last recorded words with a powerful exhortation worthy of every saint's sober attention (and retention) - Read his words in Ec 12:13,14

1 Kings 15:3 (Jeroboam - 1Ki 15:1,2) He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted (shalem; Lxx = teleios - see word study) to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David

Comment: What was the character of David's heart? See Acts 13:22 noting especially what a devoted heart looks like = "who will do all my will", cp 1Sa 13:14 = Samuel's verdict to disobedient Saul, cp Caleb in Nu 14:24 where "different spirit" parallels "wholehearted devotion", 2Ki 23:25 - Josiah = "turned to Yahweh with all [Hebrew word "kol" speaks of the totality of] his heart and with all [kol] his soul and will all [kol] his might" see also NT parallels of how important Jesus considers this teaching regarding our hearts! =  Mt 22:36, 37, Mk 12:28, 29, 30).

1 Kings 15:14 But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.

Comment: This verse is somewhat confusing in that residual high places don't seem to be reflect a heart wholly devoted to God. Nevertheless, I think it still behooves us to pray like David asking God to search us (Ps 139:23, 24) and show us any "high places" in our life that by His grace and power take them away as completely as possible.

Constable explains this somewhat puzzling passage: In view of Asa’s self-reliance later in his life this statement probably means that he did not tolerate idolatry but worshiped only the true God.  (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor or Logos or Wordsearch)

2 Kings 20:3 (Context: Hezekiah's mortal illness stimulated the following prayer 2Ki 20:1,2) "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole (shalem; Lxx = pleres - in context this describes Hezekiah's heart as lacking nothing for completeness) heart and have done what is good in Your sight (see 2Ki 18:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

1 Chronicles 12:38 All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

Comment: There is some variation on how "perfect heart" is translated: ESV = with full intent; NIV = fully determined; NLT = with the single purpose; KJV = with a perfect heart. Literally the Hebrew says "with a complete heart they came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel."

1 Chronicles 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole (shalem; Lxx = teleios - see word study) heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Comment: Literally it reads ""with a complete heart and a willing being."

1 Chronicles 29:9 (Context is giving for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem) Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole (NIV = wholeheartedly; shalem; Lxx = pleres - heart lacking nothing for completeness) heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly (cp 1Sa 16:7).

The NT Commentary is : 2Cor 9:7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart (Barclay - "Let him not give as if it hurt him to give or as if it was being forced out of him"); not grudgingly (literally "out of sadness, grief, heaviness or sorrow") or under compulsion (necessity, compelling force as opposed to willingness); for God loves a cheerful (hilaros - joyous, a glad or cheerful state of mind) giver.

1 Chronicles 29:19 and give to my son Solomon a perfect (shalem; Lxx = agathos [word study]) heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision."

McConville comments: “Often the extent to which we are prepared to put at risk our material well-being is a measure of the seriousness with which we take our discipleship. . . .People are closest to God-likeness in self-giving, and the nearer they approach God-likeness the more genuinely and rightly they become capable of rejoicing.”

2 Chronicles 8:16 Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. (shalem; Lxx = teleioo [word study])

Young's Literal: "And all the work of Solomon is prepared till the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and till its completion; perfect (shalem) is the house of Jehovah."

2 Chronicles 15:17 But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa's heart was blameless (shalem; Lxx = pleres - heart lacking nothing for completeness) all his days.

2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." (NAS)

Spurgeon's Sermon on 2Chr 16:9 A Lesson from the Life of King Asa

 KJV 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

ASV 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

ESV 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars."

NIV 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

2 Chronicles 19:9 Then he charged them saying, "Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly (shalem).

Comment: (KJV = pure heart; ESV = whole heart; NET = pure motives; NLT = an undivided heart)

2 Chronicles 25:2 (Amaziah = 2Chr 25:1) He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.

Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just (shalem) weight is His delight.

Excellent devotional writings on Proverbs by William Arnot: Proverbs 11:1 Honesty is the Best Policy (See list of all Arnot's comments on Proverbs Commentaries)

Comment: Shalem describes weights that had to be solid, accurate, and fair for use in the marketplace

Isaiah 38:3 (Hezekiah prayed) and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Amos 1:6 Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they deported an entire population to deliver it up to Edom.

Comment: The Philistines deported They deported an entire population (Jer. 13:19), possibly during the reign of Jehoram (2Chr. 21:16,17; Joel 3:3).

Amos 1:9 Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Tyre and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they delivered up an entire population to Edom And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

Comment on covenant of brotherhood by John MacArthur: A longstanding brotherly relationship existed between Phoenicia and Israel, beginning with King Hiram’s assistance to David and Solomon in the building of the temple (2Sa 5:11; 1Ki 5:1-12; 9:11-14), and later cemented through the marriage of Jezebel to Ahab (1Ki 16:31). No king of Israel ever made war against Phoenicia, especially the two major cities, Tyre and Sidon. (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos)

Nahum 1:12 Thus says the LORD (Jehvoah is speaking to the southern kingdom Judah - This intro guarantees the following will transpire), "Though they (the Assyrians) are at full strength and likewise many, even so, they will be cut off and pass away (God would accomplish this task). Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.

Comment: Jehovah had afflicted Israel with the Assyrians but would not use them to afflict His people any longer. Bible Knowledge Commentary adds that

God had used Assyria to afflict Judah in several ways: by Sennacherib’s attack in 701BC, by Judah’s having to pay tribute to Assyria during much of Manasseh’s reign, and by Judah’s King Manasseh being taken captive (2Chr 33:11). But that Assyrian oppression, like a yoke on an animal’s neck, would be broken when Nineveh fell. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor or Logos or Wordsearch)