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Bishlam
in peace
בִּשְׁלָם bish.lam
Bishlam (Hebrew: בִּשְׁלָם, bish.lam) means “in peace”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at Ezra 4:7. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Bishlam
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Return
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Ezra 4:7 |
| Cross-references | 16 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Mithredath co-occurrence Appears with Mithredath in Ezra 4.
- Tabeel co-occurrence Appears with Tabeel in Ezra 4.
- Artaxerxes co-occurrence Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
- Dinaites co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Dinaites.
- Osnappar co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Osnappar.
- Esarhaddon co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Esarhaddon.
- Rehum co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Rehum.
- Shimshai co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Shimshai.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.4.7
§ Bishlam = "in peace"
a Persian officer in Palestine in the time of Ezra
Bishlam was a Samaritan official who, along with others, wrote to King Artaxerxes to oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The biblical story
Bishlam was a Samaritan official who, together with Tabeel and the rest of their associates, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes of Persia to oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Ezr. 4:7). This letter was written in Aramaic and translated, indicating that it was an official document. The Samaritans, who were the inhabitants of the region north of Judah, were adversaries of the Jews and sought to undermine their efforts to rebuild the city and the temple. In their letter, they accused the Jews of rebuilding a rebellious and wicked city, warning the king that if the city were rebuilt, the Jews would no longer pay taxes and would damage the king's revenues (Ezr. 4:12-13). As a result of this letter, the king ordered the work on the city to cease until further notice (Ezr. 4:21-22). Bishlam's actions demonstrate the political opposition and challenges faced by the Jews as they sought to restore their homeland after the Babylonian exile.
Key verses
Bishlam appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
Ezra 4:7
Show all 1 reference
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 4:7