Translations
I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
I am shalom; but when I speak, they are for war.
I am for peace; but the moment I open my mouth, they cry for war.
I am in favor of peace; but when I speak, they want war.
Footnotes
The final verse is devastatingly brief. Ani-shalom; literally "I am peace" is not merely a preference but an identity statement: the psalmist's whole being is oriented toward shalom. The contrast could not be starker: his speech, which should build and heal, provokes instant, irrational hostility. This cry anticipates the Messianic ache for One whose very identity is shalom (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:5) yet who is rejected the moment He speaks. The pilgrim ascending to Jerusalem begins his journey in this lament, but the very act of ascending toward the City of Shalom is itself an act of hope. F.O.G. renders ani-shalom as the literal "I am shalom" to preserve the identity-claim; F.O.G.M. unpacks it dynamically while capturing the instant, almost reflexive hostility of the enemies.

