שַׁלְוָה
𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤄
shalvâh
H7962 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of ease, tranquility, or security, emphasizing absence of anxiety, trouble, or conflict; used of personal calm, communal well-being, or material prosperity. The term can denote both inward peace and the outward conditions of security and well-being, sometimes with implications of complacency or false security.
Semantic Range
tranquility, security, ease, quietness, prosperity, absence of trouble, complacency, sense of false security, peaceable condition
Root / Etymology
שָׁלָה (shalah) is the verbal root, meaning 'to be quiet, at ease, or secure.' שַׁלְוָה (shalvâh) is a feminine noun form derived from this root, describing the state or condition resulting from being at ease or secure.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שַׁלְוָה primarily denotes a desired condition of tranquility or security in various passages (e.g., Job 3:26, Psalm 122:7). In the context of the monarchic and exilic periods, it is sometimes portrayed positively as a blessing (Jeremiah 33:6), but elsewhere cautioned as a potentially self-deceptive or unstable state, vulnerable to disruption (Ezekiel 16:49; Psalm 30:6). It contrasts with terms like שָׁלוֹם (shalom), which often conveys broader concepts of wholeness or right relationships, whereas שַׁלְוָה focuses more narrowly on quietness, lack of disturbance, or material ease. In later Hebrew, especially in wisdom literature, it sometimes warns against false confidence in one's security (Proverbs 1:32). Standard English translations render the term as peace, prosperity, quiet, security, or ease, though none capture all contextual nuances. The meaning shifts from personal experience (inner peace) to community prosperity or perceived invulnerability, reflecting the complex relationship between peace, prosperity, and ethical conduct in ancient Israelite thought.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁלָה; security (genuine or false); abundance, peace(-ably), prosperity, quietness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שלה (sh-l-h) — to be at ease, be tranquil, be secure
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7887 | שִׁילֹה | in Shiloh |
| H7944 | שַׁל | the careless misstep |
| H7951 | שָׁלָה | I was at ease |
| H7952 | שָׁלָה | may you become complacent |
| H7953 | שָׁלָה | he will draw out |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7962-05 |
וְ/שַׁלְוָה | veshalevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and quietness | secure ease | 2 |
H7962-06 |
וְ/שַׁלְוַ֣ת | veshalevat | HC/Ncfsc |
and abundance | and tranquility-of | 2 |
H7962-02 |
בְּ/שַׁלְוָ֞ה | beshalevah | HR/Ncfsa |
in a state of security | in tranquil security | 1 |
H7962-03 |
שַׁ֝לְוָ֗ה | shalevah | HNcfsa |
prosperity | secure tranquility | 1 |
H7962-04 |
וּ/בְ/שַׁלְוָ֖ה | uveshalevah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and in peace | and in tranquil security | 1 |
H7962-01 |
בְּ/שַׁלְוֺתַ֔יִ/ךְ | beshaleotayikhe | HR/Ncfpc/Sp2fs |
in your prosperity | in your states of ease | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7962-01 |
Jeremiah 22:21 | בְּ/שַׁלְוֺתַ֔יִ/ךְ | beshaleotayikhe | HR/Ncfpc/Sp2fs |
in your prosperity | in your states of ease |
H7962-06 |
Ezekiel 16:49 | וְ/שַׁלְוַ֣ת | veshalevat | HC/Ncfsc |
and abundance | and tranquility-of |
H7962-03 |
Psalms 122:7 | שַׁ֝לְוָ֗ה | shalevah | HNcfsa |
prosperity | secure tranquility |
H7962-06 |
Proverbs 1:32 | וְ/שַׁלְוַ֖ת | veshalevat | HC/Ncfsc |
and complacency | and tranquility-of |
H7962-05 |
Proverbs 17:1 | וְ/שַׁלְוָה | veshalevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and quietness | secure ease |
H7962-04 |
Daniel 8:25 | וּ/בְ/שַׁלְוָ֖ה | uveshalevah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and in peace | and in tranquil security |
H7962-05 |
Daniel 11:21 | בְ/שַׁלְוָ֔ה | veshalevah | HR/Ncfsa |
in tranquility | secure ease |
H7962-02 |
Daniel 11:24 | בְּ/שַׁלְוָ֞ה | beshalevah | HR/Ncfsa |
in a state of security | in tranquil security |