סֶ֫לָה
Selah
BDB lists 2 entries for ‘Selah’ fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Particle
- A short function word — article, negation, interrogative, the sign of the direct object, and the like.
Every verse where H5542 appears in the Book of Psalms — 71 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Psalms
- Psalms 3:2 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Many there are who say of my soul, "There is no help for him in God." Selah.
- Psalms 3:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj I cry to Yahweh with my voice, And he answers me out of his holy hill. Selah.
- Psalms 3:8 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj Salvation belongs to Yahweh. Your blessing be on your people. Selah.
- Psalms 4:2 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? Will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.
- Psalms 4:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Stand in awe, and don't sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.
- Psalms 7:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
- Psalms 9:16 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.
- Psalms 9:20 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj Put them in fear, Yahweh. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.
- Psalms 20:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah.
- Psalms 21:2 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj You have given him his heart's desire, And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.
- Psalms 24:6 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek your face--even Jacob. Selah.
- Psalms 24:10 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Who is this King of glory? Yahweh of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
- Psalms 32:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah.
- Psalms 32:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn't hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, And you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
- Psalms 32:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
- Psalms 39:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Behold, you have made my days handbreadths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath." Selah.
- Psalms 39:11 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, You consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath." Selah.
- Psalms 44:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj In God we have made our boast all day long, We will give thanks to your name forever. Selah.
- Psalms 46:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Though the waters of it roar and are troubled, Though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
- Psalms 46:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
- Psalms 46:11 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
- Psalms 47:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.
- Psalms 48:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj As we have heard, so we have seen, In the city of Yahweh of Hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah.
- Psalms 49:13 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj This is the destiny of those who are foolish, And of those who approve their sayings. Selah.
- Psalms 49:15 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For he will receive me. Selah.
- Psalms 50:6 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj The heavens shall declare his righteousness, For God himself is judge. Selah.
- Psalms 52:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.
- Psalms 52:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, And root you out of the land of the living. Selah.
- Psalms 54:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven't set God before them. Selah.
- Psalms 55:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness." Selah.
- Psalms 55:19 סֶ֥לָה ptcl intj God, who is enthroned forever, Will hear, and answer them. Selah. They never change, Who don't fear God.
- Psalms 57:3 סֶ֑לָה ptcl intj He will send from heaven, and save me, He rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth.
- Psalms 57:6 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into the midst of it themselves. Selah.
- Psalms 59:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You, Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel, Rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.
- Psalms 59:13 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.
- Psalms 60:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You have given a banner to those who fear you, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
- Psalms 61:4 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.
- Psalms 62:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
- Psalms 62:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah.
- Psalms 66:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj All the earth will worship you, And will sing to you; They will sing to your name." Selah.
- Psalms 66:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don't let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
- Psalms 66:15 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, With the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah.
- Psalms 67:1 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj May God be merciful to us, bless us, And cause his face to shine on us. Selah.
- Psalms 67:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, For you will judge the peoples with equity, And govern the nations on earth. Selah.
- Psalms 68:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj God, when you went forth before your people, When you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
- Psalms 68:19 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, Even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
- Psalms 68:32 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.
- Psalms 75:3 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj The earth and all its inhabitants quake. I firmly hold its pillars. Selah.
- Psalms 76:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, The shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah.
- Psalms 76:9 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj When God arose to judgment, To save all the afflicted ones of the earth. Selah.
- Psalms 77:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj I remember God, and I groan. I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah.
- Psalms 77:9 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?" Selah.
- Psalms 77:15 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You have redeemed your people with your arm, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
- Psalms 81:7 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah." Selah.
- Psalms 82:2 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj "How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked?" Selah.
- Psalms 83:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Assyria also is joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah.
- Psalms 84:4 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah.
- Psalms 84:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh, God of hosts, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah.
- Psalms 85:2 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.
- Psalms 87:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Selah.
- Psalms 87:6 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh will count, when he writes up the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah.
- Psalms 88:7 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.
- Psalms 88:10 סֶּֽלָה ptcl intj Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Selah.
- Psalms 89:4 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj 'I will establish your seed forever, And build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah.
- Psalms 89:37 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj It will be established forever like the moon, The faithful witness in the sky." Selah.
- Psalms 89:45 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.
- Psalms 89:48 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj What man is he who shall live and not see death, Who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.
- Psalms 140:3 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper's poison is under their lips. Selah.
- Psalms 140:5 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj The proud have hidden a snare for me, They have spread the cords of a net by the path. They have set traps for me. Selah.
- Psalms 140:8 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj Yahweh, don't grant the desires of the wicked. Don't let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah.
- Psalms 143:6 סֶֽלָה ptcl intj I spread forth my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
The Hebrew name סלה centers on the idea of “Selah.” Psalms dominates its distribution — 71 of 74 verses. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 74 verses — moderately common. First canonically at Psalms 3:2, it enters the text early. Dig into 74-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H5542 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 74
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 74 distinct verses.
- 2 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 2 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #536
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 536 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 74 occurrences in the concordance →
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 74 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 71 verses · 96%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 3 verses · 4%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Selah 66×, Themselves selah 3×, Thee selah 2×
- American Standard Version: Selah 16×, Me 2×, Thee 2×
- Berean Standard Bible: Selah 74×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Selah 74×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H5542 across 74 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H5542 across 30 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 6 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 44 further occurrences.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H5542 across 74 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H5542 across 74 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Senses in BDB
The 2 senses BDB distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- to lift up, exalt
- Selah
Word origin
vb. lift up (voices in ברוך לעולם), or exalt (לעולם י׳) (Imv. of סָלַל (cf. Pr 4:8 ψ 68:5; הִגָּיוֹן סלה 9:17, v. הִגּ׳), properly סֹ֫לָּה, סֶ֫לָה poss. Qr = נֶצַח, Hexapla σελ; but cf. הֶ֫רָה Ew554 Köii 1, 539; 𝔊 Sym Theod διάψαλμα, expl. Suidas μέλους ἐναλλαγή; Theodoret Hippolytus μέλους μεταβολή (cf. Hexapla Hb 3:3 μεταβολὴ διαψάλματος; Syriac Hexapla Aq. עוניתא in 5 ψ ψ, Field in ψ 38:12); 𝔊 adds διάψαλμα, e.g. 2:2; 34:11; 94:15, after final editing of Heb. Psalter; so Psalms of Solomon 17:21; 18:10 on same principles as in MT; used therefore with full knowledge that it indicated some kind of interruption or change in the regular rendering. סלה is used in שמונה עשרה after Benedictions 3, 18, and after other early Jewish prayers, shewing knowledge, c. 100 a.d.; Aq gives ἀεί (Theod. also ψ 9:17); Sexta διαπαντός (except 20:4 εἰς τέλος); Quinta εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας; Jer. semper, 𝔗 usually לעלמא, לעלמין; but 39:6 לחיי עלמא, 44:9 לעלמי עלמין, 48:9 עד עלמי עלמין, 49:14 לעלמא דאתי; uniform tradition best expl. by closing contents of the Benedictions, מהעולם ועד העולם. So Jer. classes sela with amen and salom; and Jacob of Edessa in Bar Hebr 10:1 cp. Christian Amen of the people after Gloria);—this interpr. agrees with usage: 71 times in 39 ψψ, 3 times Hb 3 (taken from Minor Psalter למנצח, v. נצח); it occurs at end of 3:9; 24:10; 46:12 (om. 𝔊), 9:21 (𝔊 combines 9 and 10); elsewhere at close of strophe, 3:3, 5; 4:3, 5; 7:6; 9:17; 24:6; 32:4, 5, 7; 39:6, 12; 46:4, 8; 47:5; 48:9; 49:13 (so read MT v 14 by error) v 16; 50:6; 52:5, 7; 54:5; 59:6, 14; 61:5; 62:5, 9; 66:4, 7, 15; 67:5; 68:20; 76:4, 10; 77:4, 10, 16; 81:8; 82:2; 83:9; 84:5, 9; 88:8, 11; 89:38, 46; 140:4, 6, 9; 143:6; or where citations have been made, 44:9; 55:8; 57:7; 60:6; 67:2; 68:8, 33; 89:5; Hb 3:3, 9; or where extracts might be made for liturgical purposes, 20:4; 21:3; 55:20; 75:4; 85:3; 87:3, 6; 89:49; so 57:3 (𝔊 for MT v 4) Hb 3:13.—Of ψψ c. סֶלָה, 23 used in Elohistic Psalter, 28 in Director’s Psalter, 39 in final editing of Psalter. These editors found it in earlier Psalters. Davidic Psalter uses 20 of them, so few in proportion that it is not characteristic of this Psalter; but Korahite 9 (out of 12), and Asaph 7 + 80:8 [𝔊] (prob. 8 out of 12); appar. it came into use in time of these editors. In Director’s Psalter musical terms are added to 19 of the 28 it uses (and only to ten others, of which some could hardly use סלה); ψψ with סלה all (except 61, 81) name the kind of ψ in title: 3 מִכְתָּם, 7 מַשְׂכִּיל, 10 שִׁיר, 26 (27) others מִזְמוֹר, Hb 3 תְּפִלָּה; ס׳ is especially frequent with שִׁיר and מַשְׂכִּיל, terms associated with musical rendering. It prob. came into use in late Persian period in connexion with ψψ used with musical accompaniment in public worship, to indicate place of benedictions. It was not added by later editors to other psalms; but was revived in first century b.c., and continued in use for some time (v. JacobZAW xvi (1896), 129 f. BrJBL 1899 EG BriggsAm. J. Sem. Lang. Oct. 1899, 1 ff.).
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from סלה (çâlâh) (H5541) — to make light of.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
סֶלָה
- (b. h.) selah (supposed to be a musical direction); forever. Erub. 54ᵃ, v. נֶצַח.
סלי
- (b. h.) to swing.
- 1. [ [to make rise,] to balance, outweigh. Snh. 82ᵇ (play on סלוא, Num. XXV, 14) על שה׳ וכ׳ because he outweighed the sins of his family; [oth. opin.: he caused the sins of his family to rise, i.e. become notorious]; Tanḥ. Pinḥ. 2; Yalk. Num. 772; Num. R. s. 21 בן שסילא וכ׳. e.g. Numbers 25:14
- 2. to throw away, reject. Snh. 104ᵇ, v. פָּסַל.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 4 distinct written forms H5542 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| סֶֽלָה | Particle, Interjection | Habakkuk 3:13 | 62 |
| סֶּֽלָה | Particle, Interjection | Psalms 3:8 | 8 |
| סֶ֑לָה | Particle, Interjection | Habakkuk 3:3 | 3 |
| סֶ֥לָה | Particle, Interjection | Psalms 55:19 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H5542, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Bible dictionary
Public-domain dictionary articles matched to this entry by name (Selah). A biblical name can be shared by more than one person or place, so an article may treat several.
Easton's Bible Dictionary · M. G. Easton, 1897
A word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:9, 13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning "silence" or "pause;" others, "end," "a louder strain," "piano," etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., "a division."
Smith's Bible Dictionary · William Smith, 1863
This word, which is found only in the poetical books of the Old Testament, occurs seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. It is probably a term which had a meaning in the musical nomenclature of the Hebrews, though what that meaning may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. (Gesenius and Ewald and others think it has much the same meaning as our interlude,--a pause in the voices singing, while the instruments perform alone.)
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary · Roswell D. Hitchcock, 1869
the end; a pause
Classic public-domain reference works; full attribution on Sources.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 68 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 74 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
