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also signifies “peace,” indicative of a prosperous relationship between two or
more parties.
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in this sense finds expression in speech: “Their tongue is as an
arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably [literally, “in peace”] to his
neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait” (Jer. 9:8); in diplomacy:
“Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for
there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite”
(Judg. 4:17); and in warfare: “… If it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee,
then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and
they shall serve thee” (Deut. 20:11).
Isaiah prophesied concerning the “prince of peace” (Isa. 9:6), whose kingdom was to
introduce a government of “peace” (Isa. 9:7). Ezekiel spoke about the new covenant as
one of “peace”: “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an
everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my
sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezek. 37:26). Psalm 122 is one of those
great psalms in celebration of and in prayer for the “peace of Jerusalem”: “Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Ps. 122:6). In benedictions God’s
peace was granted to His people: “… Peace shall be upon Israel” (Ps. 125:5).
The Septuagint gives the following translations:
(“peace; welfare; health”);
(“peaceable; peaceful”);
(“deliverance; preservation; salvation”); and
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(“be in good health; sound”).
Another related noun is
which occurs 87 times, and means “peace offering”:
“And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and
sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord” (Exod. 24:5).
B. Verbs.
(
, 7999), “to be complete, be sound.” This verb occurs 103 times. The
word signifies “to be complete” in 1 Kings 9:25: “So he finished the house.”
Another verb,
, means “to make peace”: “When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov. 16:7).
C. Adjective.
(
, 8003), “complete; perfect.” This word is found in Gen. 15:16 with the
meaning of not quite “complete”: “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” The word means “perfect” in Deut.
25:15.
PEOPLE
( , 5971), “people; relative.” This common Semitic word has cognates in
Akkadian, Amorite, Phoenician, Ugaritic, Punic, Moabite, Aramaic, and Arabic. This
word occurs about 1,868 times and at all periods of biblical Hebrew.
The word bears subjective and personal overtones. First,
represents a familial
relationship. In Ruth 3:11 the word means “male kinsmen” with special emphasis on the
paternal relationship: “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou
requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.” Here
the word is a collective noun insofar as it occurs in the singular; indeed, it is almost an