shelem · peace offerings

What it means

shelem (שֶׁלֶם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “peace offerings”.

Peace offering: a sacrifice of which one part was burned for God and the rest was eaten by the one who offered it, as a sign of peace and fellowship with him (Leviticus 3).

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. An offering of fellowship with YHWH, eaten in his presence.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Peace offering: a sacrifice of which one part was burned on the altar and the rest was eaten by the one who offered it and his people. It comes from שָׁלַם, “be complete, at peace” (H7999), and belongs to the family of שָׁלוֹם, “peace” (H7965). BDB: a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, the “peace offering”.

• The law of the sacrifice of peace Leviticus 3:1Leviticus 7:11
• Burnt offerings and peace offerings together Exodus 20:24Exodus 24:5
• Sacrifices of peace at the people's feasts 1 Samuel 11:152 Samuel 6:171 Kings 8:63
• Offerings YHWH will not look at Amos 5:22

Historical and cultural background

Leviticus 3 and 7:11-34 give the law: the fat is burned for YHWH, the breast and the right thigh are for the priest, and the one who offers eats the rest on the same day or the next. 1 Samuel 11:15 tells that, when Saul was made king, “they sacrificed there sacrifices of peace offerings before YHWH”, and they rejoiced.

How we translate it

The word is always rendered with “peace” (87 times): “a sacrifice of peace” for זֶבַח שְׁלָמִים (Leviticus 3:1) and “peace offerings” when it stands by itself (Exodus 20:24), the form this edition's glossary sets.

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Exodus×4
• Leviticus×30
• Numbers×19
• Deuteronomy×1
• Joshua×3
• Judges×2
• 1 Samuel×3
• 2 Samuel×3
• 1 Kings×5
• 2 Kings×1
• 1 Chronicles×3
• 2 Chronicles×5
• Proverbs×1
• Ezekiel×6
• Amos×1

• Exodus 20:24

  An altar of earth you shall make for me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your flocks and your herds; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

• Exodus 24:5

  He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as sacrifices of peace to YHWH.

• Exodus 29:28

  It shall be for Aaron and for his sons as a statute forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a contribution; and it shall be a contribution from the sons of Israel from their sacrifices of peace, their contribution to YHWH.

• Exodus 32:6

  And they rose early on the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

• Leviticus 3:1

  And if his offering is a sacrifice of peace, if he presents it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall present it without defect before YHWH.

• Leviticus 3:3

  From the sacrifice of peace he shall present as a fire offering to YHWH the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

• Leviticus 3:6

  And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace to YHWH is from the flock, male or female, he shall present it without defect.

• Leviticus 3:9

  From the sacrifice of peace he shall present as a fire offering to YHWH its fat: the whole fat tail, which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails,

• Leviticus 4:10

  just as it is taken off from the ox of the sacrifice of peace; and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.

• Leviticus 4:26

  All its fat he shall offer up in smoke on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace. So the priest shall make expiation for him for his sin, and he will be forgiven.

• Leviticus 4:31

  All its fat he shall remove, just as the fat is removed from the sacrifice of peace, and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar for a pleasing aroma to YHWH. So the priest shall make expiation for him, and he will be forgiven.

• Leviticus 4:35

  All its fat he shall remove, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace, and the priest shall offer up in smoke them on the altar, on top of the fire offerings of YHWH. So the priest shall make expiation for him for his sin that he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

• Leviticus 6:12

  The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, arrange the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke on it the fat of the peace offerings.

• Leviticus 7:11

  This is the instruction for the sacrifice of peace that one presents to YHWH.

• Leviticus 7:13

  With cakes of leavened bread he shall present his offering with his sacrifice of peace for thanksgiving.

• Leviticus 7:14

  From it he shall present one from each offering as a contribution to YHWH; it shall belong to the priest who splashes the blood of the peace offerings, to him.

• Leviticus 7:15

  The flesh of his sacrifice of peace for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it until morning.

• Leviticus 7:18

  And if any of the flesh of his sacrifice of peace is ever eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted; for the one who presents it, it shall not be credited to him; it shall be a repulsive thing, and the person who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.

• Leviticus 7:20

  But the person who eats flesh from the sacrifice of peace that belongs to YHWH while his uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people.

• Leviticus 7:21

  And when a person touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable thing, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace that belongs to YHWH, that person shall be cut off from his people.”

• Leviticus 7:29

  “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: The one who presents his sacrifice of peace to YHWH shall bring his offering to YHWH from his sacrifice of peace.

• Leviticus 7:32

  And the right thigh you shall give as a contribution to the priest from your sacrifices of peace.

• Leviticus 7:33

  The one among the sons of Aaron who presents the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh as a portion.

• Leviticus 7:34

  For the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution I have taken from the sons of Israel, from their sacrifices of peace, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as a statute forever from the sons of Israel.

• Leviticus 7:37

  This is the instruction for the burnt offering, for the grain offering, for the sin offering, for the guilt offering, for the ordination, and for the sacrifice of peace,

• Leviticus 9:4

  and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before YHWH, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today YHWH will appear to you.’”

• Leviticus 9:18

  He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace that was for the people, and the sons of Aaron handed the blood to him, and he splashed it against the altar all around,

• Leviticus 9:22

  Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.

• Leviticus 10:14

  The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your portion and the portion of your sons from the sacrifices of peace of the sons of Israel.

• Leviticus 17:5

  This is so that the sons of Israel bring their sacrifices that they are sacrificing in the open field, that they bring them to YHWH, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace to YHWH.

• Leviticus 19:5

  And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of peace to YHWH, you shall sacrifice it so that you are accepted.

• Leviticus 22:21

  And when a man presents a sacrifice of peace to YHWH to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from the flock, it shall be without defect to be accepted; no defect shall be in it.

• Leviticus 23:19

  And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace.

• Numbers 6:14

  and he shall present his offering to YHWH: one male lamb a year old, without defect, as a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old, without defect, as a sin offering, and one ram without defect as a peace offering,

• Numbers 6:17

  And he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace to YHWH, with the basket of unleavened bread; and the priest shall offer its grain offering and its libation.

• Numbers 6:18

  And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and take the hair of his consecrated head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of peace.

• Numbers 7:17

  and for the sacrifice of peace, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

• Numbers 7:23

  and for the sacrifice of peace, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

• Numbers 7:29

  and for the sacrifice of peace, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

• Numbers 7:35

  and for the sacrifice of peace, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

And 47 more times.