interjection

selah

SEE-lah

Selah (interjection) means a word appearing at the ends of verses in the Hebrew Psalms and in Habakkuk, most often understood as a musical or liturgical direction, perhaps a pause, an instrumental interlude or an instruction to lift up the voice. Its exact sense is not known. Example: “The psalm closes with the line 'be still, and know that I am God. Selah.'”

interjection

biblical A word appearing at the ends of verses in the Hebrew Psalms and in Habakkuk, most often understood as a musical or liturgical direction, perhaps a pause, an instrumental interlude or an instruction to lift up the voice. Its exact sense is not known.

"The psalm closes with the line 'be still, and know that I am God. Selah.'"

"Selah appears seventy-one times in the Book of Psalms."

informal Used in modern speech and writing to mark a statement as final and worth sitting with, roughly 'let that sink in' or 'amen to that'.

"Sometimes rest is the whole job. Selah."

"She ended the eulogy with a single word: selah."

noun

A female given name taken from the biblical term.

"They named their daughter Selah."

How to Use Selah

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA word in the Psalms that probably means pause here; people now use it to mean 'think about that'.

When to use it

Biblical and devotional; the modern 'let that sink in' use is informal and common in sermons, gospel music and social media captions.

Memory tip

In quoted scripture it is usually set off with a full stop and often italicised; it never takes an article.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

Shiloh → Sela amen →

Common pairings

Selah. the psalmist writes Selah seventy-one times in the Psalms

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Can you complete this real example?

The psalm closes with the line 'be still, and know that I am God. _____.'

Etymology

From Hebrew סֶלָה (selah), a term appearing in the Psalms and in Habakkuk. Its precise meaning is unknown; it may be connected to a root meaning 'to lift up' or 'to raise'.

Origin: Hebrew

Synonyms

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pause interlude amen so be it let that sink in

Related Words

stop wait waiting delay vacation stopping suspension amen

Rhymes for selah

Methuselah

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does selah mean in the Bible?

Nobody knows for certain. It appears seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk, always in poetry set to music, so most scholars read it as a performance direction: a pause, a rest, a musical interlude or a swell in volume. Ancient translators already disagreed, and the Greek Septuagint rendered it diapsalma, roughly 'a musical interlude'.

How should you pronounce selah?

Most English speakers say SEE-lah; SAY-lah is also heard, and Hebrew speakers stress the second syllable, se-LAH. All are accepted.

What is the difference between selah and amen?

Amen means 'so be it' and is a definite affirmation of what has been said. Selah is not an affirmation at all; it marks a break or emphasis in a psalm and its meaning is uncertain, which is why modern speakers use it more loosely to mean 'stop and consider that'.

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