What does Selah mean in the Bible?

Last updated Jul 15, 2026

Published by Bible Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

"Selah" is a Hebrew word of uncertain meaning that appears 71 times in the Book of Psalms (and three times in Habakkuk), often understood as a musical or liturgical instruction to pause.

Psalms 3:2 in the King James Version reads:

Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

The word appears at the end of Psalm 3:2, one of its earliest occurrences in the Psalter. Read it in context at Psalms 3:2, or the full chapter at Psalms 3. Encyclopedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selah.

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  • · Selah Bible meaning
  • · Selah Psalms word

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