Lexical Summary shalah or shale: To be at ease, to be secure, to be tranquil Original Word: שָׁלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be happy, prosper, be in safety Or shalav (Job 3:26) {shaw-lav'}; a primitive root; to be tranquil, i.e. Secure or successful -- be happy, prosper, be in safety. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be quiet or at ease NASB Translation deceive (1), ease (2), negligent (1), prosper (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [שָׁלָה, שָׁלֵו] verb be quiet, at ease (Ecclus 47:13 שלוה prosperity, Ecclesiasticus 41:1c שליו prosperous, at ease;  be tranquil, quiet, ceaee; ᵑ7 שְׁלָא, שְׁלי be at ease, then be careless, thoughtless, go astray [for Hebrew שָׁגָה, שָׁגַג] Aph`el neglect (God, etc.), Biblical Aramaic ᵑ7 שָׁלוּ error; Arabic  ( ) be. forgetful, neglectful, content, free (from anxiety)); — Qal 1. be, (have) quiet: Perfect1singular שָׁלַיְתִּי Job 3:26. 2 be at ease, prosper, of wicked, 3 plural שָׁלוּ Jeremiah 12:1; Lamentations 1:5, also Imperfect3masculine plural יִשְׁלָ֫יוּ (Ges§ 75u) Job 12:5, and (of good) Psalm 122:6 (יֵ֫שֶׁל Job 27:8 see II. שׁלח). Niph`al Imperfect2masculine plural תִּשָּׁלוּ jussive 2 Chronicles 29:11 be not negligent (easy-going; German 'bequem'). Hiph`il Imperfect2masculine singular תַּשְׁלֶה jussive 2 Kings 4:28 do not mislead me (compare תְּכַזֵּב 2 Kings 4:16), strong Aramaism, whence Klo תַּשְׁגֶּה. שׁלה, שׁלו (√ of following; Biblical Hebrew I. שׁלה (late)). Topical Lexicon Root Idea שָׁלָה paints the picture of being still, undisturbed, or at ease. In Scripture this “ease” may be a gift from God, a goal for which the faithful pray, or a deceptive calm enjoyed by the wicked just before judgment. Canonical Occurrences and Literary Setting 1. Job 3:26 – Job’s lament highlights the absence of שָׁלָה for the righteous sufferer. Ease of the Wicked versus the Faithful Job and Jeremiah frame שָׁלָה as a perplexing reality: oppressors flourish while the godly groan. This tension serves several purposes: Jerusalem, Covenant Rest, and Eschatology Psalm 122 links shalah to shalom. The prosperity of those who love Jerusalem anticipates the covenant ideal: God dwelling with His people in undisturbed peace (Isaiah 32:17–18). The post-exilic community would read this as a charter for prayer and rebuilding; the New Testament church sees in it a pattern of intercession for the peace of the city and the ultimate New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-4). Divine Discipline and False Security Lamentations 1:5 reverses the earlier enigma: now Israel’s enemies rest while Zion weeps. Their ease is a temporary reprieve before they, too, face judgment (Lamentations 3:59-66). The passage warns against mistaking divine longsuffering for approval (Obadiah 1:3; 2 Peter 3:9). Christological Fulfillment Jesus embodies and offers the true shalah: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). His cross resolves the moral riddle voiced by Job and Jeremiah—justice and mercy meet, granting secure rest to those united to Him (Romans 5:1). Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Intercession: Pray for the peace (shalom) and prosperity (shalah) of God’s city—first earthly Jerusalem, ultimately the global church. Summary שָׁלָה traverses Scripture as both promise and paradox. It beckons God’s people to pray for covenant peace, warns against casual complacency, and ultimately directs every heart to the Messiah, in whom all true ease and everlasting security are found. Forms and Transliterations יִ֝שְׁלָ֗יוּ יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ ישליו שָׁל֔וּ שָׁל֖וּ שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ שלו שלותי šā·law·tî šā·lū šālawtî šālū shaLavti shaLu yiš·lā·yū yishLayu yišlāyūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 3:26 HEB: לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי NAS: I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, KJV: I was not in safety, neither had I rest, INT: nor ease nor quiet Job 12:6 Psalm 122:6 Jeremiah 12:1 Lamentations 1:5 5 Occurrences |
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