Original Word: יְהוָֹה שָׁלוֹם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yhavah shalowm
Pronunciation: yah-WEH sha-LOHM
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw' shaw-lome')
KJV: Jehovah-shalom
Word Origin: [from H3068 (יְהוֹוָה - LORD) and H7965 (שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם - peace)]

1. Jehovah (is) peace
2. Jehovah-Shalom, a symbolical name of an altar in Israel

Jehovah is peace; Jehovah-Shalom

From Yhovah and shalowm; Jehovah (is) peace; Jehovah-Shalom, a symbolical name of an altar in Palestine:

see HEBREW Yhovah

see HEBREW shalowm

Word Origin
see Yhvh and shalom.

Definition and Background

Yehovah Shalom, “The LORD is Peace,” is the revelatory name given to the altar Gideon built after his encounter with the Angel of the LORD (Judges 6:24). Although the expression appears only once, it encapsulates the character of God as the source, giver, and guarantor of true peace.

Historical Setting: Gideon at Ophrah

Gideon’s Israel was oppressed by Midian. Hiding in a winepress, he met the Angel of the LORD, received a call to deliver Israel, and feared for his life after perceiving the divine presence. When assured, “Peace be with you; do not be afraid” (Judges 6:23), Gideon built an altar and named it Yehovah Shalom. The altar remained in Ophrah as a continuing witness that in chaotic times God Himself is Israel’s peace.

Theological Significance of Divine Peace

1. Covenant Wholeness: Shalom speaks of completeness, welfare, and harmony; it is more than the cessation of conflict. By joining the covenant name (YHWH) to shalom, Scripture presents peace as an essential divine attribute, inseparable from God’s redemptive dealings.
2. Assurance of Life: Gideon expected to die after seeing God (cf. Exodus 33:20). The Lord’s declaration of peace reversed that expectation, underscoring that reconciliation, not destruction, is His intent toward the faithful.
3. Ongoing Memorial: The enduring altar affirmed that peace is not situational but rooted in God’s unchanging nature.

Biblical Theology of Peace

• Priestly Blessing: “May the LORD … give you peace” (Numbers 6:26) anticipates Yehovah Shalom by pronouncing divine shalom over Israel.
• Prophetic Vision: “You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind” (Isaiah 26:3) and the promised “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) broaden the hope first named in Judges 6.
• New Covenant Reality: Jesus declared, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Paul affirms, “For He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), linking Gideon’s altar to the cross where hostility is abolished.

Christological Fulfillment

The Angel of the LORD is often recognized as a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. Thus, Gideon’s experience foreshadows the incarnation, where the One who is Peace steps into human distress. Through His death and resurrection, He mediates “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1), fulfilling the name Yehovah Shalom in its fullest sense.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Deliverance in Distress: Believers facing oppression may remember Gideon’s altar as a call to rely on the LORD’s peace amid turmoil.
• Assurance of Presence: Ministry to the fearful employs the same words spoken to Gideon—“Do not be afraid”—grounded in the unchanging nature of God.
• Reconciliation: Since Christ has “made the two one” (Ephesians 2:14), Yehovah Shalom motivates efforts toward unity in the church and evangelistic reconciliation with God.

Liturgical and Devotional Usage

• Names of God studies often culminate with Yehovah Shalom as the capstone of God’s relational attributes.
• Worship songs and benedictions (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 3:16) incorporate the title to invoke God’s peace.
• Personal altars—times and places of dedicated prayer—echo Gideon’s act, reminding believers that peace is both a divine gift and a memorial of divine encounters.

Related Biblical Names and Themes

Yehovah Shalom aligns with other compound names: Yehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14) highlights provision; Yehovah Nissi (Exodus 17:15) emphasizes victory; Yehovah Shammah (Ezekiel 48:35) stresses presence. Together they portray a holistic picture of God’s character, with peace standing as the climactic expression of His redemptive purpose.

Summary

Yehovah Shalom is not merely an ancient altar name; it is a timeless revelation that the LORD Himself is peace—peace proclaimed under the old covenant, personified in Jesus Christ, and applied by the Holy Spirit to guard “hearts and minds” today (Philippians 4:7).

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