SHILOM
| Lehite GN | City and land, near the city of Nephi, ca. 121 BC (Mosiah 7:5; Alma 23:12) |
The most obvious derivation is from the root šlm, “to be complete,” from which derives šālōm, “peace.” There are many biblical Hebrew PNs from this root, e.g., šallūm, but none of which is quite the same form as Shilom (JH).
Much less likely is that the name is a misspelling of Shalom (JH), because of the number of occurrences of Shilom in the Book of Mormon (JAT).
Also much less likely is a derivation from, mistake for, *šilōn, perhaps the original name of biblical šilōh (šilō, šīlō), Shiloh, based on the gentilic “Shilonite” (JH; see BDB). Note that the site is called in Arabic ḥirbet silūn (JAT).
It is also unlikely that Shilom is a confusion between Greek and Hebrew forms of the spring known in Hebrew as šiloaḥ, NT Greek siloam, and Arabic silwân (JH).
