Selah is a word with a lot of cultural and religious heritage — here is selah’s meaning, where it comes from, and how it is used in the modern world!
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Kevin
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January 7, 2022
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Common Questions
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The word selah (/ˈsiːlə(h)/) has a lot of historical and religious connotations. While its most commonly seen in the Bible in the Book of Psalms, it is still a significant word to understand if you are discussing modern religion. While the question of what selah means has been debated and questioned consistently over the past several thousand years, anyone can learn more with a little bit of research.
Here is what selah means, where the word comes from, and how it is used throughout the world of religion and faith today.
What Does Selah Mean?
The best place to find out what selah means is looking into the Bible. This word is commonly used as the end of a verse in the books of Psalms and Habakkuk. These books were specifically written based on poetry and music, so the odds are that the word selah was intended as a footnote that would offer musical direction and instruction to the musicians and singers in ancient Israel.
In the modern world of religion and faith, the word selah has a lot of similar connotations to the word “hallelujah.” They are both used to offer praise and worship to God, who Christians believe is the world’s savior. While there isn’t a short answer for what the word means in most contexts, it carries a worshipful and spiritual definition along with it in most scenarios.
What Is the Etymology of Selah?
The word selah is relatively unique in English, primarily because it comes from Hebrew. While most tend to go from either Greek or Latin, selah actually has its origins in a much less commonly seen language in the English lexicon.
The word is a transliteration of the Hebrew words selāh or salah. Since the Hebrew alphabet is different from the English one, it can be hard to translate it into English directly.
The first place this word was transliterated into English was in the King James Version of the Bible, released in 1611. This helped the reading of the text feel as true to the original language as possible. Since there wasn’t a single word in the English language that offered the same meaning, selah was chosen.
How Is Selah Used in the Bible?
At the beginning of many chapters of Psalms written by David or Solomon, a caption dictates that the Psalm is addressed “to the choirmaster.” This has led most scholars to believe that the following paragraph was meant to be a piece of music.
Most scholars believe that the meaning of selah at the ending of verses was to create a pause of musical interlude in the music. While it was common for a choir director to guide the singers’ voices and musical instruments, it was still essential to have the song documented so the choir could learn it. This liturgical-musical mark would remind musicians and singers to pause to praise God and release the burdens on their souls.
Another popular interpretation of this word is that it was used to detail when there should be a fortissimo, imperative, or loud moment within a song. These people believe that the original Hebrew calls for an audible moment of celebration at the end of the verse, which would often lead to the rest of the song playing out.
While this is a less traditional view of what the choir-master would be doing in this situation, it still retains a similar purpose of reflection and celebration on the words that were previously sung and music being played.
How Is Selah Used in the Modern World?
When it comes to the modern usages of the word Selah, it is commonly seen as a call back to old-time worship done by people in ancient Israel. If you’ve ever seen it on Instagram or other kinds of social media, it was probably done to offer a beneficial commentary on someone’s worship and ability to praise God.
Selah is also seen as a symbol of rest and waiting in many churches worldwide. It follows a similar concept to the Sabbath, a weekly period of rest that many Christians and Jews partake in. The process of slowing down for some time and pausing to rest and reflect on the goodness of God is a pervasive and widespread part of these kinds of faith as a whole.
If you go to a specific type of church, the word selah is one that you will likely see and hear a lot. Selah is popular within churches that are more deeply rooted in the traditions of the Bible. These are the kinds of churches that focus heavily on hymns, liturgy, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
Selah is a fascinating word. It attributes glory and worship to a spiritual being, and it is one of the most popular transliterated words in the world. If you’re ever studying Christianity or faith at large, understanding what selah is can increase your understanding of religious texts.
To increase your depth of knowledge and understanding surrounding the English language, take a look around today!
If you are looking for new words to add to your vocabulary arsenal, look at our blog here at The Word Counter. We have countless articles detailing words you may have heard but don’t quite understand.
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