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סֶלָה

𐤎𐤋𐤄

çelâh

H5542 particle

SILEX Entry

Root סלה to lift up, to exalt, to raise

Definition

A liturgical or musical marker occurring in psalms and poetry, most often indicating a pause, interlude, or a musical direction within the performance or recitation of the text. Its precise function remains debated, but it is generally considered to signal a break for reflection, musical accompaniment, or a change in musical or vocal delivery.

Semantic Range

musical or liturgical pause; musical interlude; reflective or emphatic marker; performance cue in poetry or song

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root סלה, though the specific root meaning is unclear and may relate to 'to lift up,' 'to exalt' or possibly 'to pause.' The etymology is uncertain, as the precise relationship to the root is debated and its use is unique to poetry and song.

Historical & Contextual Notes

סֶלָה appears exclusively in poetic and musical contexts within the Hebrew Bible, especially in Psalms and Habakkuk, and is absent from narrative or legal texts. It is traditionally left untranslated in most versions, including the Septuagint, or is transliterated as 'Selah.' Its usage does not correspond to a specific word meaning in context, but rather to a liturgical or musical function, unlike most other Hebrew terms. Modern scholarship sees it as a nota bene for musical performance—possibly marking a pause, a crescendo, or a change in the musical accompaniment. The exact performance practices associated with סֶלָה in ancient Israelite worship are unknown. Later Jewish and Christian traditions often read the word as a cue for reflection or doxological emphasis, but such interpretations are based on tradition more than linguistic evidence. English translations often retain 'Selah' or add explanatory notes, rather than substituting an English equivalent, due to the term's specialized and uncertain meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָלָה; suspension (of music), i.e. pause; Selah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סלה (s-l-h) — to lift up, to exalt, to raise

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5541 סָלָה you weighed
H5543 סַלּוּ to Sallai
H5544 סִלּוֹן projecting thorn-brier
H5552 סַלְסִלָּה plaited baskets

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5542-01 סֶ֑לָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause 74

Occurrences in Scripture

74 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5542-01 Habakkuk 3:3 סֶ֑לָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Habakkuk 3:9 סֶ֑לָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Habakkuk 3:13 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 3:3 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 3:5 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 3:9 סֶּֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 4:3 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 4:5 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 7:6 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
H5542-01 Psalms 9:17 סֶֽלָה selah HTj Selah Lift-up pause
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