to ally
sha.lam describes making peace or joining an alliance, and in one clause carrying out declared counsel.
The predominant attested use concerns establishing peaceful relations or alliance: cities and peoples make peace with Israel, persons are described as allied, and enemies are made at peace. A separate occurrence in Isaiah 44:26 places the verb with confirming a servant’s word and bringing messengers’ counsel to its stated outcome.
Senses in use
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Establishing peace or alliance · dominant
In Joshua 10:1, the Hiphil perfect plural describes Gibeon’s inhabitants in relation to Israel; the APB renders the clause that they “had made an alliance with Israel and were among them.” Joshua 10:4 and Joshua 11:19 likewise place Hiphil perfect forms in clauses about Gibeon and cities making an alliance or peace with Israel, while Deuteronomy 20:12 contrasts a city not making peace with making war.
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Carrying counsel through · rare
In Isaiah 44:26, the Hiphil imperfect singular stands alongside confirming the servant’s word and the counsel of messengers; the APB renders the clause “fulfill the counsel of my messengers.” This is distinct from the relational clauses concerning peace or alliance.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the relational occurrences with “made peace,” “made an alliance,” “allied,” and “at peace,” while Isaiah 44:26 has “fulfill the counsel.” These renderings confirm the clauses’ overall relations rather than supplying a separate English equivalent for every form.