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selah

selah

1 9.9
A mark in the Psalms showing a pause or short musical break
  • other
  • Archaic
: selah
  • In many Psalms, you will notice the word selah appearing at the end of certain verses.

Examples

  • In many Psalms, you will notice the word selah appearing at the end of certain verses.

  • Scholars still debate the exact meaning of selah in biblical texts.

  • The choir paused at the word selah during the hymn.

  • The choir sang beautifully, then paused for a selah.

  • After the verse, the congregation reflected during a selah.

  • The choir paused at the word selah during the hymn.

  • After the verse, the congregation reflected during a selah.

Synonyms

rest
vsselah
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A musical sign that shows a period of silence

is a textual pause marking an uncertain or general musical interlude

Surface Forms

selah main

Etymology

The word selah comes from Hebrew and probably marked a pause or a short musical break in the Psalms. A helpful way to remember it is to think of selah as a little 'pause' or 'musical break' where singers stop or instruments play alone, which explains why it appears between lines of the song.