Original Word: שֶׁלֶו
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shelev
Pronunciation: shah-LOO
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-lev)
KJV: prosperity
NASB: prosperity
Word Origin: [from H7951 (שָׁלָה שָׁלַו - prosper)]

1. security

prosperity

From shalah; security -- prosperity.

see HEBREW shalah

Word Origin
from shalah
Definition
ease, prosperity
NASB Translation
prosperity (1).

[שָׁ֫לוּ Ges ^{§ 84 a c} Lag BN:142] noun [masculine] ease, prosperity (Perles^{Anal. 80} delusion; compare Aramaic שָׁלוּ error, below √, e.g., Genesis 43:12); — suffix שַׁלְוִי Psalm 30:7 (compare De Bae); < read שַׁלְוָתִי (or שַׁלְוֺתַי Bi), Ol Hup-Now Du and others (>Sta Hup think שׁלוי abbreviated from שׁלותי).

Range of Meaning Within Scripture

שֶׁלֶו portrays a season of undisturbed well-being—a settled, unruffled prosperity in which danger seems remote and the heart feels immovable. It is more than momentary comfort; it is a settled state that can lull the soul into presumption if not guarded by humble gratitude.

Primary Biblical Occurrence

Psalm 30:6 sets the term in sharp relief. David recalls,

“In prosperity I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’”

The psalm rehearses a testimony: prolonged tranquility persuaded David that his footing was unassailable, yet a sudden divine hiding of face (Psalm 30:7) exposed the fragility of every merely human security.

Historical Setting

Psalm 30 is traditionally linked to the dedication of David’s house or the future temple site (compare 1 Chronicles 22:1). Following hard-won victories and the consolidation of his kingdom, David enjoyed a period of national peace (2 Samuel 7:1). The king’s “prosperity” encapsulates that serene chapter—palace completed, enemies subdued, worship plans unfolding—yet the memory of plague (2 Samuel 24) and personal failure (2 Samuel 11) underscores how quickly such ease can crumble.

Theological Significance

1. Blessing Held by Grace, Not Right. The term reminds readers that covenant blessings flow from God’s kindness, not human merit (Deuteronomy 8:10-18).
2. Peril of Complacency. Seasons of ease invite spiritual stupor: “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1).
3. Divine Discipline Restores Perspective. The Lord may withdraw felt favor to rouse repentance (Psalm 30:7-8; Hebrews 12:5-11).
4. True Security Found in God Alone. “The LORD is the strength of His people” (Psalm 28:8); no amount of earthly stability rivals trust in Him.

Prophetic and Wisdom Echoes

Proverbs warns that ill-gotten “peace” collapses (Proverbs 1:32). Isaiah contrasts fleeting ease with messianic “quietness and trust forever” (Isaiah 32:17). Zechariah foresees cities inhabited “without walls” because the LORD Himself will be “a wall of fire around her” (Zechariah 2:4-5), revealing the only safe ground for lasting שֶׁלֶו.

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus Christ embodies and offers the unshakeable rest frail human prosperity cannot supply: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you” (John 14:27). His cross secures reconciliation; His resurrection guarantees an inheritance “that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Temporal comforts are redeemed when submitted to His lordship.

Pastoral and Discipleship Applications

• Cultivate Gratitude: Regular thanksgiving counters presumption (Psalm 103:2).
• Practice Generous Stewardship: “Command the rich...to be generous” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
• Maintain Watchfulness: Prayer and fasting keep the heart sensitive during comfortable seasons (Mark 14:38).
• Encourage Corporate Humility: Congregations prospering materially should remember the persecuted church (Hebrews 13:3).

Homiletical Outline Suggestion

1. The Gift of שֶׁלֶו (Psalm 30:6a)
2. The Snare of Presumption (Psalm 30:6b)
3. The Shock of Divine Withdrawal (Psalm 30:7)
4. The Cry for Mercy (Psalm 30:8-10)
5. The Restoration to Worship (Psalm 30:11-12)

Key Cross-References for Further Study

Deuteronomy 8:10-14; Job 21:23-26; Psalm 73:12-20; Proverbs 1:32-33; Isaiah 32:17-18; Amos 6:1-7; Luke 12:19-21; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Revelation 3:17-19.

Summative Insight

שֶׁלֶו exposes both the sweetness and the snare of undisturbed prosperity. Holy Scripture celebrates seasons of rest yet consistently redirects confidence from the gift to the Giver, pressing believers to steward ease in the fear of the LORD while looking to Christ for the only peace that endures the shaking of every earthly support.

בְשַׁלְוִ֑י בשלוי ḇə·šal·wî ḇəšalwî veshalViInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts