Selah: What Does It Mean and How Does It Change How We Read Scripture?

Because of the context, most biblical scholars agree that selah is some type of musical notation. Out of the thirty-nine psalms which are headlined “for the choir director,” selah appears in thirty-one of them, indicating it has some connection to how the psalm is sung or performed.

My research found similar thoughts among Bible commentators. Here are three views:

The Holman Concise Bible Dictionary explains Selah this way: “Term of unknown meaning appearing in Psalms and Habakkuk 3. It is variously seen as pause either for silence or musical interlude, a signal for the congregation to sing, recite, or fall prostrate on the ground, a cue for the cymbals to crash, a word to be shouted by the congregation, a sign to the choir to sing a higher pitch or louder. The earliest Jewish traditions thought it meant ‘forever.’"

The MacArthur Bible Handbook has this view: “Derived from the verb ‘salal,’ ‘to lift up.’ It occurs in thirty-nine psalms and in the ‘Psalm of Habbakuk’ (Habakkuk 3). No one is certain of the exact meaning of this word, that is, what it is to be lifted up. Some think that Selah is an emphatic word, marking a point in the psalm for “lifting up” one’s thoughts to God. But most scholars think it is simply some form of musical notation, such as a marker of a musical interlude, a pause, or a change of key.”

Finally, the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible adds: “The word ‘Selah’ occurs a number of times in the Psalms. It was a musical or liturgical sign, the meaning of which is not entirely understood today. Some regard it as a pause in the music to mark a transition in the theme or composition. It seems to have no grammatical connection with the sentence after which it appears. Therefore, it was not an integral part of each psalm. It was probably a note to the singers of the psalms or perhaps to those who were accompanying the singers with instruments.”

Understanding “selah” as a musical notation makes perfect sense. How music is notated has evolved over centuries; the current staff and clef notations that are used today date back to the eighteenth century – relatively recent! For someone who reads music, the squiggly lines and flagged circles on horizontal lines, the sharp and flat indicators, and words like allegro, adagio, diminuendo, etc. make perfect sense, each giving direction to either the one singing or playing an instrument. While a person might be unfamiliar with what things mean, the context of their appearance on a sheet of music gives clues. Since “selah” only appears in connection with the psalms/songs, it must have musical meaning.

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Unless you are participating in a Jewish worship service, most likely you find yourself reading the psalms rather than singing them. For this reason, we could take the meaning of selah (“to lift up”) to a practical level. Each time we find the word selah, we should “pause and give thought, or emphasis” at that point in the scriptures. And, in Jewish tradition, as we read selah, we are saying to God, “may it be forever.”

Let’s look at two psalms where we find repeated uses of selah and consider how this little word can cause us to think deeply and better appreciate that portion of God’s Word.

Selah: Pause and Think of the Times God Has Delivered You

Psalm 32 is a psalm of David, labeled as a “maskil,” or a contemplative, didactic or skillful psalm. It’s definitely contemplative as David considers his sin and God’s forgiveness. Since selah appears three times, perhaps it is a “skillful” psalm, meant for those who are trained and experienced in music. Here are the first seven verses.

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord;’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.”

As we “pause and think” about David’s words, we are reminded of the high price of sin. David was affected physically, mentally, and spiritually. Could it be that some of our issues and illnesses have a spiritual cause? Are we suffering from depression or fatigue for medical or physical reasons, or is there sin in our lives that we are refusing to address?

In the next two verses, we “pause and think” about the miraculous transformation that takes place when we confess our sin and God forgives us, relieving us of the weight of our guilt! Here is a good place to simply “camp out” and give praise to God.

Lastly, David reminds us that God is always our refuge, whether the troubles we encounter are of our own making or simply the challenges and trials of life. God surrounds us with songs of deliverance. “Pause and think” about the times He has delivered you. Pray or sing back to Him in gratitude.

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Psalm 46 is addressed “for the choir director,” written by the sons of Korah and has the notation “set to Alamoth, a song.” It is a song of joy focusing on God’s powerful ability to protect His people in the face of natural disasters, political upheaval, and national wars.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”

In the first three verses, the psalmist reminds us to “pause and think” about the most threatening natural disasters we can imagine. Even if the physical world changes dramatically, God is still our refuge and strength; He is a very present help in trouble. What does it mean for God to be present in our troubles? What could we possibly fear that is greater than the power of God who created our world in the beginning, and sustains it and holds it together? Lift up your praises and place your confidence in this powerful God!

In the next four verses, the psalmist describes our future – the city of God, which we know from other scriptures is a description of heaven (see Revelation 22:1). “Pause and think” about eternal things. Stop focusing on what is happening in the culture around you and contemplate the glory and beauty that waits for us in heaven!

The last four verses are a contrast – the nations are in strife, at war with one another, yet God calls us to be still, to cease striving. That can only happen as we “pause and think” about the Lord of hosts, the One who commands myriads and myriads of angels – the One who is with us. Our fears about what man might do to us fade away as we consider the protective, mighty power of the heavenly hosts, who serve the saints.

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Do you see how “pause and think” can deepen your understanding of God’s Word? The psalms are not just dry theology, even though they contain a wealth of insight to God’s character and His plans and purposes for humanity. They are songs and poems, meant to raise our spirits toward heavenly things, and to give us a platform to praise God for who He is.

Selah. Stop and think. Lift up your praises to God. The next time you read selah, recognize it as God’s little stop sign. Turn aside, and enjoy what He wants to reveal to you, as you pause in His presence.

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