Meaning of Selah | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Alternative letter-case form of selah.
   alt-of
2. A word occurring between verses or paragraphs in parts of the Hebrew Bible, namely in Habakkuk and the Psalms; perhaps indicating a pause, either for contemplation or for clearing the throat in singing.

Equivalents

Examples

“God commeth from Theman, and the holy one from mount⟳ Paran, Selah. his glorie couereth the heauens, and the earth is full of his prayse.”

“LORD, how are they increased that trouble⟳ mee: many are they that riſe vp againſt me. / Many there bee which ſay of my ſoule, There is no helpe for him in God. Selah. / But thou, O LORD, art a ſheild for me; my glory, and the lifter vp of mine head. / I cryed vnto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of holy hill. Selah.”

“Hear⟳ my cry⟳, O God; attend⟳ unto my prayer. / From the end⟳ of the earth will I cry⟳ unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead⟳ me to the rock that is higher than I. / For thou hast been a shelter⟳ for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. / I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust⟳ in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”

“[…] Ps[alm] xlvi has three Selahs (vs. 3, 7, 11,) and likewise a repetition in vs. 7, 11, which, as we have⟳ already fully illustrated, Selah greatly intensifies. In Ps. xlix there are two Selahs (vs. 13, 15,) indicating the refrain, "Hear⟳ this, all ye people; give⟳ ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:" and, also, a repetition, (with some variation,) of the following words, "Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like⟳ the beasts that perish." Vs. 12, 20.”

“Students of Selah have⟳ been puzzled because in the psalms, which Mishna ascribes to each day of the week for the daily sacrifice, the desired number⟳ of Selahs is not to be found. The answer⟳ is that the pᵉraqim were timed to the ritual at the altar and that, even though the term Selah might not occur⟳ at all in some of these psalms, the pᵉraqim and prostrations referred to the actual Selah ceremony.”

CEFR level