PEACE (שָׁלﯴם, H8934, soundness, completeness, security, welfare, peace; εἰρήνη, G1645, harmony, concord, security, safety, assurance). Human situations in the Bible that are commonly described by the word “peace” range from the cessation of hostilities between nations, the absence of civil or ecclesiastical disorder, and the freedom from dissension between individuals, through positive situations in which an individual has prospered materially, or is healthy, or possesses a tranquil freedom from mental or spiritual perturbation, to conditions where there is a minimum of noise or activity. But no situation in the Bible is simply human. In the total range of human activity, the divine influence is evident. In this way the Biblical notion of peace must be understood. For the NT writers, a more comprehensive spiritual element is added to the OT concept of peace by the awareness that the true ground of reconciliation between God and man, between man and man, and within the individual is exhibited in the total work of Christ; and through the enabling power brought by the gracious visitation of the Holy Spirit, this peace is made a joyous possession of a man.

1. OT usage. Frequently, the OT writers used the word “shalom” without explicit, but never without implicit, religious content. These amazing writers often used the term to describe prosperity of a material sort, which for them was associated with God’s covenantal promises or with projections of His presence. The root meaning of “soundness,” “completeness,” and “well-being” is obvious in over two dozen passages where only general health and prosperity are described or discussed. Joseph, e.g., inquired after the welfare (peace) of his brothers (Gen 43:27), and Moses asked about the welfare (peace) of his father-in-law when they were exchanging greetings (Exod 18:7). In some places, the reference is limited clearly to the physical safety of the individual (Job 5:23), or to his health (Isa 38:17). A passage in Psalm 38:3 is particularly clear in this respect when it says, “There is no soundness (peace) in my flesh....no health (peace) in my bones.” As this v. continues, that this lack of soundness is “because of my sin,” the characteristic in the OT of relating even the most mundane aspects of life to the judgments of God is readily seen (cf. Ps 38:1).

Another common usage of shālōm in the OT where the spiritual element is somewhat minimal (though evidenced in a higher degree than in the above cases) is in passages where the quiet tranquility and contentment of a man or land is pictured, and in places where a relationship of friendship is under consideration. The prophet Isaiah gives a good illustration of this seemingly psychological aspect of well-being when he says, “The effect of righteousness will be peace...quietness and trust for ever” (Isa 32:17). Then, surprisingly, in the same context, the state of peace is seen to be attached also to the house of the righteous person (32:18). Jeremiah does the same when he refers to a “safe (peaceful) land” (Jer 12:5) and to “peaceful folds” (25:37). A soundness in relationship between friends is a further usage of peace in the OT. Friends are spoken of as “familiar” (20:10), “trusted” (38:22; Obad 7), or in a relationship of “peaceful understanding” (Zech 6:13) where the word for “peace” is prefixed to the word for “friends.”

Though the religious and spiritual content is at a minimum in the above human conditions, the OT writers did not conceive of these situations as occurring independently of God’s controlling will and impelling presence. The awareness of God’s presence in power or judgment rounds out any Biblical concept of peace. In the OT, this awareness of God gives a sense of wholeness and success to the business of living, which is marred only by human inadequacy and sin. Gideon’s altar to God, before which Gideon quaked in fear of God’s judgment, was named “The Lord is peace” (Judg 6:24). The OT writers felt that God creates peace in heavenly spheres, high above all human affairs, and is both the pledge of peace to man and the giver of peace, which appears as human prosperity and wholeness of life (see also Lev 26:6 and 1 Kings 2:33).

Peace as associated with material well-being is evident in the OT where the nature of true and false prophecy is discussed. False prophecy seemingly was concerned solely with material gain (1 Kings 22:5f.), whereas the true prophet was above desire for material gain (Micah 3:5f.). False prophets prophesied peace (Jer 14:13; 28:9). The close association of peace with material prosperity and well-being made this a dubious basis of distinction between true and false prophets, at least in the earlier portions of the OT. However, the loss of material prosperity that occurred with the Exile made it possible to emphasize the richer, spiritual notion of peace in which the individual became more aware of the presence of God and of His promise of blessing. Such an emphasis became the distinguishing characteristic of the true prophet. An exile-situation prophecy of this kind could not help but awaken an eschatological hope. Jeremiah and others frequently referred to this hope of the future, using the technical form “covenant of peace” (Isa 54:10; Jer 29:11 KJV; Ezek 34:25; 37:26). Although the emphasis seems to be mainly upon the future in such passages, it should be understood that in this combination of words, “covenant of peace,” the present is stressed as much as the future. It is seen again and again that peace is intimately associated with a quality of life in the present material world, whereas, the word “covenant” adds to this technical phrase a promise yet to be attained. The whole matter is most evident in the writings of Malachi, where the covenant promise is seen to be a conjunction of present and future blessings, as is revealed in the more comprehensive phrase “covenant of life and peace” (Mal 2:5). No longer was peace externalized in being associated only with material prosperity or well-b eing—prophecy came into its own—though hopefully the eschatological peace the later prophets proclaimed would again eventually be accompanied by physical comforts (Jer 33:9; Hag 2:9); though these could never again be seen as the central concept of a true peace from God. The true prophet, thus, was one who dared to suggest that the spiritual basis of any prosperity can remain even if the material evidence does not. God’s truest gift of peace is related to His steadfast love, obedience to His commands (Isa 48:18), righteousness (57:2; 60:17), and justice (59:8).

The richest portrayals of peace in the OT, only dimly perceived in some parts, are found in metaphors suggesting that all human situations will develop in such a way that qualitative and quantitative eternal peace is the consequence. These references suggest a restoration of paradise (11:1ff.; Hos 2:20ff.; Amos 9:13ff.) and an international society living in peace under God’s administration (Isa 2:2f.; Mic 4:3). The most concrete expressions of these hopes are found in Messianic passages that are inseparable from peace. A humble king will inaugurate a kingdom of peace (Zech 9:9), and the Messianic child is called the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6), who according to the context is at once the guarantor and guardian of the peace in the coming Messianic kingdom (Isa 9:7; Mic 5:2-5). This man can be identified only as Jesus Christ.

2. The Greek notion of peace. The Grecian culture made use of the word εἰρήνη, G1645, for peace. For them, the root meaning of peace was not considered as integral to any of the normal daily activities of man, but rather seemed to be a condition within the individual that persisted in spite of, and oblivious to, routine living or the influence of a divine being. Foerster suggests that this notion of peace was not a relation between people, or things, but a state (of mind) that was emotionally felt and passionately acclaimed (TDNT, vol. 2, 400). This widespread desire among the Gr. intellectuals to attain a harmonious state of mind, best described as imperturbability, often made the actual human situation that could be called peaceful merely incidental to the inner experience of peace. Such a view was only superficially like the OT concept of peace. Nevertheless, the NT writers made use of the standard Gr. word for peace without confusion, because by their time the Gr. word had been evacuated of Hel. philosophical meaning and infused with holistic Heb. significance through the labors of generations of LXX and rabbinic scholars.

3. NT usage. The NT follows the OT in displaying a wide range of uses for the word “peace.” The word could be a greeting (as in the introductions to Paul’s letters), a means of wishing someone well (Luke 10:5), or even a farewell (James 2:16). Peace was also thought of as security (Luke 11:21), the opposite of disorder (1 Cor 14:33), and as concord between men (Acts 7:26; Eph 4:3; James 3:18). Even in these salutary situations in normal life, it often is suggested contextually that this harmony or peace is in accordance with the divine pleasure (Rom 14:17; 1 Cor 7:15).

It is more typical of the NT, however, to relate the concept of peace to the notion of the salvation of the whole man, which is one of the significant similarities to the eschatological emphasis in the OT. Persons who had association with Christ, as well as Christ Himself, described salvation in terms of peace. Zechariah and Simeon, for example, expected this peace (Luke 1:79; 2:29), the angels heralded it (2:14), the women whose faith made them whole were told to “go in peace” (Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50), and the people sang about it at Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:38). Jesus summarized salvation as “the things that make for peace” (19:42). He bequeathed salvation to His disciples when He left them, using the language of peace, saying “my peace I give to you” and “...that in me you may have peace” (John 14:27; 16:33). He also used the same language of peace as a way of referring to salvation, when He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection (John 20:19, 21, 26). Various NT leaders spoke of salvation as the “good news of peace by Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36), the preaching of peace (Eph 2:17), and the “gospel of peace” (6:15; Rom 10:15). The “God of peace,” they declared, brings salvation to the whole man—body, soul, and spirit (1 Thess 5:23), and equips with everything good to do the will of God (Heb 13:20; cf. other usages of the formula “the God of peace” in Rom 15:33; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 5:23).

Man’s participation in the peace of God through Christ’s finished work of redemption also is mentioned frequently in the NT. Christ becomes “our peace” (Eph 2:14-17) in this richly conceived view of peace that includes reconciliation with God and justification in His sight. In a similar fashion, “peace with God” is the result of justification by faith (Rom 5:1, 10). Such views of peace are seen to be parallel to the abundant life that Christ obtains for the believer by His sacrifice on the cross (John 10:10; Rom 8:6). Being “at peace” in this deep sense is a mode of existence that comes by grace (2 Pet 3:14) and is far more than a psychological peace of soul. Likewise, “the peace of God, which passes all understanding” cannot be merely psychological (Phil 4:7), or concerned only with man’s external affairs. Such a v. denotes the highest concept of peace, which a believer can comprehend only dimly as the salvation of the whole man is experienced as the power of God in his life. It is to the “peace of Christ” that he is called (Col 3:15). See Righteousness; Salvation.

Bibliography R. Bultmann, The Theology of the New Testament, I (1951), 286-291; E. Stauffer, New Testament Theology (1956), 143-146; L. Köhler, Old Testament Theology (1957), 30-35; H. Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom (1962), 274-277; J. Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. II (1962), Book III ch. XIII; G. von Rad and W. Foerster, “Peace,” TWNT, II (1964), 400ff.