What does Selah mean in the Psalms?

Q: What does Selah mean in the Psalms?

Selah (Hebrew H5542) appears 74 times, mostly in Psalms. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it is most likely a musical direction — a pause or interlude inviting the singer and hearer to stop and weigh what was just said.

Selah (H5542) is one of the Bible's genuine puzzles. It punctuates the Psalms 71 times, plus three times in Habakkuk's psalm-like prayer, yet Scripture never defines it. The most widely held view connects it to a root meaning "to lift up" — a musical rest, a lifting of instruments or voices, a deliberate pause.

Watch where it lands. It tends to follow a weighty statement, as if to say: stop and let that settle.

“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”Psalms 3:4 (KJV)

“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”Psalms 46:11 (KJV)

Habakkuk uses it the same way inside a sung prayer "upon Shigionoth" — another musical term:

“God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.”Habakkuk 3:3 (KJV)

Whatever its technical meaning, its practical effect on the reader is clear enough: Selah marks the places where the text asks you not to rush.

See all 74 Selahs in context →

What does Selah mean in the Psalms?

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