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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: YHWH-shalom

YHWH-shalom meaning

YHWH-shalom in Biblical Hebrew
יהוה שלום
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/YHWH-shalom.html

🔼The name YHWH-shalom: Summary

Meaning
The Lord Of Peace, The Lord Is Peace, The Peace Of The Lord
Etymology
From (1) יהוה (yhwh), the name of the Lord, and (2) the verb שלם (shalem), to be or make whole or complete.
Related names
• Via יהוה (yhwh): Dabar-YHWH, YHWH, YHWH-jireh, YHWH-nesi
• Via שלם (shalem): Abishalom, Absalom, Bishlam, Islam, Jerusalem, Meshelemiah, Meshillemith, Meshillemoth, Meshullam, Meshullemeth, Muslim, Salamis, Salem, Salim, Salmone, Salome, Shallum, Shallun, Shalmai, Shalmaneser, Shelemiah, Shelomi, Shelomith, Shelumiel, Shulammite, Solomon

🔼The name YHWH-shalom in the Bible

The name YHWH-shalom belongs to an altar which Gideon built in Ophrah of the Abiezrites, right after a visiting angel demonstrated his reality, and right before Gideon destroyed his town's altar of Baal and associated Asherah (Judges 6:24).

See for a discussion on the significance of altars — in ancient and modern times — our article on the verb זבח (zabah), meaning to slaughter or sacrifice, and the noun מזבח (mizbeah), meaning altar.

🔼Etymology of the name YHWH-shalom

The name YHWH-shalom obviously consists of two elements, the first one being YHWH, the name of the Lord. Please see our article on that name for a look at the meaning and significance of that name.

The second part of our name comes from the familiar verb שלם (shalem), to be or make whole or complete:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
שלם

The verb שלם (shalem) means to be or make whole or complete, and is also used to describe a righteous recompense or proper restitution (whether positive or not). The familiar noun שלום (shalom) means wholeness, completeness or peace.

Other derivatives are: noun שלם (shelem), peace offering; verb שלם (shalam), to be in a covenant of peace; adjective שלם (shalem), perfect, whole, complete, safe; noun שלם (shillem), recompense; nouns שלמן (shalmon), שלום (shillum), שלם (shillum) and שלמה (shilluma), reward or proper recompense.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The phrase יהוה שלום is used as a name in Judges 6:24, but it also occurs in the previous verse and is obviously an application of it. In English this nuance is sadly lost, but the Hebrew literally reads: "and said (אמר, 'amar) to him YHWH peace to you no-fear no dying". Something quite similar is noted by Jeremiah: "and spoke (דבר, dabar) YHWH peace shall be to you..".

🔼YHWH-shalom meaning

Biblical Hebrew only sparsely uses the verb to be, and our name can be translated in several ways: The Lord Of Peace, The Lord Is Peace, and even The Peace Of The Lord.