Shalom Aleichem: Peace Be Upon You

Shalom Aleichem means “Peace be upon you.” It is a traditional Jewish song, or piyyut, sung in many homes on Friday evening as Shabbat begins, often after returning from synagogue and before Kiddush and the meal.

The song welcomes the peace of Shabbat into the home by greeting the “ministering angels” of the Most High. Many families sing each stanza three times, though customs vary from community to community.

Where this Shabbat song comes from

Shalom Aleichem took shape among Jewish mystics in Tzfat, also called Safed, toward the end of the 16th century. Tzfat was an important center of Jewish learning and prayer in that period, especially for communities influenced by Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. The same setting helps explain why songs about welcoming Shabbat, including Lecha Dodi, became so loved in Jewish worship and home life.

The song itself is later than the Bible and later than the days of Yeshua (Jesus) and the apostles. Its background, though, reaches into an older Jewish teaching preserved in the Talmud, in tractate Shabbat 119b. For readers who are new to rabbinic literature, our simple guide to the Talmud may help place that world in context.

That Talmudic passage tells of two angels who accompany a man home from synagogue on Friday night. If the lamp is burning, the table is set, and the bed is made for Shabbat, the good angel blesses the home, saying that it should be so again the next week. The other angel answers, “Amen.” If the home is not ready, the opposite happens.

That story can sound strange to modern ears, and believers should not treat it as Scripture. Still, it shows how seriously Jewish tradition treats the spiritual atmosphere of a home. Shabbat is not only a date on a calendar. It is something a household prepares to receive.

One of the best-known melodies for Shalom Aleichem was written in 1918 by Rabbi Israel Goldfarb, an American composer and conductor. There are many tunes, some slow and some lively, but Goldfarb’s melody became one of the most recognizable in Jewish homes around the world.

Shalom Aleichem in Hebrew

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן

מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

בּוֹאֲכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן

מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

בָּרְכוּנִי לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכֵי עֶלְיוֹן

מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

צֵאתְכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכֵי עֶלְיוֹן

מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

Shalom Aleichem transliteration

Shalom aleichem malachei hash-sharet malachei Elyon,

mi-melech malachei ham-melachim haq-qadosh Baruch Hu.

Bo’achem le-shalom malachei hash-shalom malachei Elyon,

mi-melech malachei ham-melachim haq-qadosh Baruch Hu.

Barchoni le-shalom malachei hash-shalom malachei Elyon,

mi-melech malachei ham-melachim haq-qadosh Baruch Hu.

Tzeitechem le-shalom malachei hash-shalom malachei Elyon,

mi-melech malachei ham-melachim haq-qadosh Baruch Hu.

Shalom Aleichem in English

Peace unto you, ministerial angels, messengers of [the] Highest,

from the King, king(s) of the kings, the Holy, blessed be He.

[May] your coming [be] to peace, envoys of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,

from the King, king(s) of the kings, the Holy, blessed be He.

Bless me for peace, envoys of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,

from the King, king(s) of the kings, the Holy, blessed be He.

[May] your departure [be] to peace, envoys of the peace, messengers of [the] Highest,

from the King, king(s) of the kings, the Holy, blessed be He.

What the words are doing

The song moves in four simple steps. First, the household greets the ministering angels: “Peace be upon you.” Then it welcomes their coming in peace. Then it asks for a blessing of peace. Finally, it sends them on their way in peace.

The repeated line matters: “from the King, king(s) of the kings, the Holy, blessed be He.” The song is not treating angels as independent powers. They are messengers. The source of peace is God Himself.

That is a helpful guardrail for believers in Yeshua. Scripture warns us not to worship angels (Colossians 2:18; Revelation 22:8-9). If singing directly to angels troubles your conscience, do not force it. You can still learn from the song, read it as a piece of Jewish Shabbat poetry, and turn the desire of the hymn into prayer to the Father: “Lord, let Your peace rest in this home.”

The Hebrew word shalom is larger than the English word peace. It includes wholeness, well-being, order, safety, and right relationship. A home can be quiet and still not have shalom. A table can be simple and still be full of it.

That is the strength of this song. It teaches the family to stop at the doorway of Shabbat and ask, “What kind of spirit are we bringing into this house?”

The first-century connection, honestly told

Yeshua and the apostles did not sing Shalom Aleichem as we know it. The hymn is a 16th-century Jewish composition, more than a thousand years after the first-century world of the New Testament. We should not pretend otherwise.

But the greeting itself, “peace be upon you,” fits the Jewish world of Yeshua very naturally. After His resurrection, Yeshua stood among His disciples and said, “Peace to you” (Luke 24:36). John records the same greeting more than once: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 20:21, 20:26). The Greek text gives us the words in Greek, but the thought is thoroughly Jewish: shalom to you.

Yeshua also taught His disciples to bring peace into a house. In Matthew 10:12-13, He told them to greet a household, and if the house was worthy, to let their peace come upon it. Luke 10:5-6 is even more direct: “Peace be to this house.” That is not the same as the later Talmudic story about two angels, but the concern is similar. A house can receive peace, or resist it.

The theme of ministering angels also belongs to the biblical world. Psalm 91:11 speaks of God commanding His angels concerning His people. Hebrews 1:14 calls angels “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” The Bible does not invite us to chase angels, but it does teach that God’s servants are not limited to what we can see.

For disciples of Yeshua, the strongest connection is this: the risen Messiah brings shalom into frightened rooms. In John 20, the doors were locked, the disciples were afraid, and Yeshua’s first word to them was peace. That is not decoration. That is a gift.

How to use Shalom Aleichem at home

If you want to bring this practice into your home, keep it simple. On Friday evening, set the table before the meal. Put away the phones. Let the house slow down for a few minutes before anyone reaches for the bread.

You may sing Shalom Aleichem if you know the melody, or read the Hebrew, transliteration, or English aloud. If you are new to Shabbat at home, our guide to celebrating Erev Shabbat gives a simple order you can follow without making things heavy.

For a family of believers, you might add a short prayer after the song:

“Father, let Your shalom rest on this home. Teach us to receive one another with patience, to forgive quickly, and to honor this time as a gift from You. In the name of Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, amen.”

You do not need a perfect house to begin. Start with a clean corner of the table, a shared meal, and a blessing spoken out loud. Then read John 20:19-21 and ask one honest question together: where do we need Yeshua to speak peace into this home tonight?

Questions people ask

What are the Shalom Aleichem lyrics in English?

The English lyrics begin, “Peace unto you, ministerial angels, messengers of [the] Highest.” The song then welcomes the angels in peace, asks for a blessing of peace, and sends them away in peace, always naming God as the King and Holy One.

Where can I find Shalom Aleichem transliteration?

The transliteration is included above under its own heading. It begins, “Shalom aleichem malachei hash-sharet malachei Elyon,” and follows the four Hebrew stanzas line by line.

When is Shalom Aleichem sung?

Shalom Aleichem is traditionally sung on Friday evening as Shabbat begins, usually at home before Kiddush and the meal. Many families sing each stanza three times, though customs differ.

Did Yeshua sing Shalom Aleichem?

No. The hymn as we know it comes from the 16th century, long after Yeshua and the apostles. But the greeting of peace fits His Jewish world, and the New Testament records Him saying “Peace to you” after His resurrection (Luke 24:36; John 20:19).

Who wrote the Shalom Aleichem melody?

There are several melodies for Shalom Aleichem. One of the most recognizable was composed in 1918 by Rabbi Israel Goldfarb, an American composer and conductor.