• The "peace sign" of the 1960's was designed by Gerald Holtom in 1958 in Great Britain for a Nuclear Disarmament campaign.
• The "V" for "Victory" sign became used as the "peace" finger sign.
• Beatnik, peacenik, etc., from Sputnik.
• Give peace a chance. John Lennon (song)
• Difference between "peace of mind" and giving a "piece of mind".

More: Nouthetic counseling: Having peace of mind or giving piece of mind

This verse is often used as a basis of conscientious objection to war by some groups.

The Mennonites are known, in part, for this. A story from the Civil War in the south in the area of Harrisonburg, VA, is told that conscripted Mennonites would shoot their rifles into the air rather than at a target. They were eventually moved to maintaining the supply train.

Is that what it is really saying? Let us investigate.

The "spirit" of God came down "like" a "pigeon" onto Jesus. The "dove" and the "pigeon" are the same bird. Most languages have only one name for this bird.

Picasso's Paloma dove made the dove and olive branch as symbols of peace popular in modern times.

• The Spanish word "paloma" ≈ "pigeon, dove".
• The French word "colombe" ≈ "pigeon, dove".
• The Latin word "pipio" ≈ "chirping bird" and is onomatopoeic.
• The German word "Taube" ≈ "dove".

More: Flipping the pigeon bird: reality or perception?

In eastern cultures, the symbol of "yin and yang" is a symbol of balance between two opposing views, forces, etc., of dualism.

• dark and bright
• negative and positive

In peace terms, there may be a way to reconcile differences.

• The ancient Greek word "εἰρήνη" ≈ "peace".
• The ancient Greek word "ποιέω" ≈ "make, do" and is the source of the English word "poet" as someone who makes things with words.

Saying: I'm a poet and don't even know it.

The ancient Greek word "ὀνοματοποιία" ≈ "maker of names" especially coining words in imitation of a sound. It is the source of the English word "onomatopoeia".

More: Word sounds like onomatopoeia

More: Onomatopoeia: sounds as words

The modern Greek word "ειρηνοποιοί" (ee-ree-no-pee-EE) ≈ "peacemaker" comes from two words.

• The modern Greek word "ειρήνη" (ee-REE-nee) ≈ "peace, tranquility, harmony".
• The modern Greek word "ποιοί" (pee-EE) ≈ "make".

If you "agree just to get peace" than you may have committed an "egregious peace".

• Nobel Peace Prize
• Blessed are the cheese-makers (Monty Python sketch)
• Peace pipe (Ceremonial pipe)
• Pass the peace (at church)

The Old English word "sibb" ≈ "kinship, peace" and is the source of words such as "sibling" and "gossip" (talk related to people who are related).

The German word "friedfertiger" ≈ "peaceful" is from two German words.

• The German word "Friede" ≈ "peace" and is a common German female name and is related to the English word "free".
• The German word "fertig" ≈ "ready, prepared" and is related to the Old English word "fierd, fyrd" ≈ "expedition, campaign"

[Faith, Hope, Charity] The Old English word "sume" ≈ "some" which is the source of the English word "some".

The Latin word "pacifico" ≈ "peacemaker" and is the source of the English word "pacify". It comes from two Latin words.

• The Latin word "pax" ≈ "peace". The Roman "peace" was a "pax" that was enforced by strict Roman military rule.
• The Latin word "facio" ≈ "I do, make".

The Latin word "paciscere" ≈ "to agree" and is the basis for the Latin word "pactum" ≈ "something agreed on" and is the basis (through French) for the English word "pact".

One can pacify to keep peace or make peace.

One can "rest" in "peace".

• A baby pacifier or binkie helps to keep peace by keeping the baby occupied and content.
• The Pacific Ocean is named for being "peaceful", but, as with any ocean, this is not true in many places and times.
• In the Vietnam War, pacification could mean "winning hearts and minds" or "obliteration of opposition".
• Peace can be framed as reconciliation.

The Tyndale version uses "pees" for "peace".

• The modern Greek word "ειρήνη" (ee-REE-nee) ≈ "peace" which referred to the Hebrew word "shalom" (such as Jerusalem) in terms of being safe and well.
• The Latin word "pax" ≈ "peace" from which we get the word "piece". The term "Pax Romana" refers to a "peace" enforced by powerful and merciless military power and is generally taken to be from 27 BC to 180 AD.
• The Latin word "pacis" ≈ "of peace" from which we get the word "pacify".
• The German word "Frieden" ≈ "peace".

The Russian word "мир" (mir) ≈ "world, peace" (depending on context) was the name given to the Russian Mir space station. That PIE root "mir" comes down in English as "miracle".
Is it a "miracle" if "peace" comes to the "world"?

• The Latin word "gratia" ≈ "grace".
• The ancient Greek word"χάρις" ≈ "favor, grace".

Some churches "pass the peace" (of Jesus) with some form of greeting each other during the service. The world's peace may not be the best.


The word for "return to you" has to do with, literally, "turning back onto itself" (in a self-referential way).

It appears that there many ways in which "peace" is used in the Bible.

• A greeting.
• The "peace" of Jesus as God.
• The "peace" of the world.
• As "silence".
• The Latin word "pax" ≈ "peace" as in the "Roman" "peace" or "Pax" "Romana".

The word "peace" is often used as a greeting from the Hebrew as in "shalom" as part of, say, the word "Jerusalem" as "house" or "town" of "peace".

An often used explanation for the word "peacemaker" is that of "reconciliation".
Discuss: Is "appeasement" the same as "peace"?

The classic case of "appeasement in our time" is that of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flying back from a meeting with Adolf Hitler in September 1938 and declaring to the world that his appeasement policy had brought "peace for our time" and that Hitler had assured him "he had no more territorial demands to make in Europe". Of course, this led directly to World War II within a year.

• September 30, 1938: Munich Agreement (peace for our time)
• September 1, 1939: Hitler and Stalin attack and divide Poland, start of World War II.
• July 7, 1937: Japan invades China.

Jesus refers to peace in various ways, and not in the way the world defines "peace".

How do the following verses fit with the "peace" described above?

Have you ever noticed that when someone generalizes as something being for the "good of the people" it is almost never, on close analysis, for the "good of the people"?

Interestingly, the German word "Friede" ≈ "peace" is related to the English word "free" as in "liberty", in addition to also being used for "no immediate cost" or "gratis" (in Latin, as "grace").

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. Benjamin Franklin (American scientist, inventor, philosopher, statesman)

More: Benjamin Franklin

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence. Benjamin Franklin (American scientist, inventor, philosopher, statesman)

More: Benjamin Franklin

More: Matthew 12: Pardon the idle word counting

The KVJ uses "peace" for "quiet". The original Greek is the modern Greek word "σιωπά" (see-o-PA) ≈ "be quiet".

The Greek for the Latin "adjure" is, literally, "out of the oath" and is the source, through French, of the English word "exorcise".

What does it mean to be "called" as in "the children of God"?

• The Latin word "voco" ≈ "call, summon, name, designate" and is the source of the English word "vocal" and "vocalize".

Does it make a difference to be "called" the "children of God" or to be "named" the "children of God" or "sons of God"?

• The German word "heißen" ≈ "name, call". One of the first German phrases one learns is "Ich heiße" which means "I am named" or "I am called".
• The Old English word "genemnde" ≈ "named, called".

The root of the Greek word for "peacemaker" as used here is found three times in the Bible in exactly this form, once above in Matthew 5:9. The other two places are in Proverbs in the LXX (Septuagint) and by Paul in his letter to the Colossians. It is found in another place as two words instead of one (in James, below).

The exact word used in Matthew 5:9 appears only here. This causes endless disagreements over the exact meaning.

Challenge: Find other places in the Bible where an ending in and of itself can be changed such that it changes the meaning of a sentence, in that context, such that there is a significant theological difference.

In communication and information theory and practice, the way to avoid such ambiguities is to introduce redundancy in order to achieve a level of fault tolerance.

Redundancy it texts such as the Bible help reduce ambiguity because in order to take a passage a certain way, one needs to be consistent with the rest of the text, especially those parts of the text that cover the same material and/or meaning.

The Hebrew often rhymes by semantic content, either the same thought or contrasting thoughts. Someone who "winks" with the "eye" may be "appeasing" what is seen.

The second part of the verse appears to be some form of idiom from the Hebrew, though it does appear to deal with the "lips".

Does that fit the Greek for "peacemaker"? The Greek "peacemaker" appears to correspond with "prating fool" - a "babbling fool".

One reasonable translation of the second part of the verse is that he who rebukes boldly, makes "peace", as in the LXX, but that does not clearly define "peace"

• Jesus "made" "peace".
• Are we to "make" "peace"

Do Paul's references to "foolish things of the world" and the "foolishness" of God have any connection with the "peacemakers" references in the other verses?

What is "peace" by the standards of the world?

This description of "peace" of the world seems somewhat similar to "survival of the fittest" or "survival of the luckiest".

Can a comparison be made to the one who is strong enough to "bind" the "strong man" of the world?

Analogies can be made here to Moses (as a type of Jesus) going into Egypt (the world) to bind the Pharaoh (strong man of the world) to bring his people out of bondage.

The Greek phase "υίοι θεού" (ee-EE-ee theh-U) ≈ "sons of God, children of God" and comes from two words.

• The modern Greek word "υιός" (ee-ee-OS) ≈ "son, child" with the exact meaning determined by context.
• The modern Greek word "θεού" (theh-U) ≈ "of God".

Let us look at where else in the LXX and GNT (Greek New Testament) this phrase is used.

There are some interesting references in the Old Testament.

The first reference is in Genesis 6:2 with an explanation of what preceded the Flood of Noah.

• The modern Greek word "του" (tu) ≈ "of" which is explicitly present in the LXX and more implicit in the GNT.

The Luther German continues to use "children of God" is in the GNT.

The Hebrew word "הנפלים" (ha-ne-pi-lim) ≈ "Nephilim" is translated is "giants" but these were more than just big and what we would call "giants" today.

The LXX uses the word "angels" rather than "sons". The same is done in several other verses in Job.

Hosea 1:10 has an interesting verse in that is uses the exact same words for "called" or "named" and the "sons of God" is in the Beatitude in Matthew 5:9.

• Summarize Beatitudes and compare to other verses by Jesus.
• Persecution Beatitude (three verses)
• Salt of the earth
• Light of the world, city on a hill.
• Candle on a candlestick in the house.
• Summary of salt, light and candle