What does סֶלָה mean in the Bible?
e. pause".
Hebrew · H5542
סֶלָה
Suspension (of music), i.e. pause
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סֶלָהH5542
What does סֶלָה mean in the Bible?
סֶלָה is a Hebrew word meaning "suspension (of music), i.e. pause".
Full entry for סֶלָה (H5542) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5542?
The BSB source-word alignment has 74 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Selah (74).
Where does סֶלָה appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Psalms 3:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (71), Habakkuk (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItSelah74×Psalms 3:2, Psalms 3:4, Psalms 3:8, Psalms 4:2
Show sample aligned rows
Psalms 3:2סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 3:4סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 3:8סֶּֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 4:2סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 4:4סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 7:5סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 9:16סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 9:20סֶּֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 20:3סֶֽלָה׃toSelahInterjectionPsalms 21:2סֶּֽלָה׃toSelahInterjection
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowPsalms 3:2
Aligned rows74
Books represented2
Psalms71Habakkuk3
Source forms
סֶֽלָה׃61xse·lāhPsalms 3:2, Psalms 3:4, Psalms 4:2, Psalms 4:4
סֶּֽלָה׃8xse·lāhPsalms 3:8, Psalms 9:20, Psalms 21:2, Psalms 61:4
סֶ֑לָה3xse·lāhPsalms 57:3, Habakkuk 3:3, Habakkuk 3:9
סֶ֥לָה1xse·lāhPsalms 55:19
סֶֽלָה׃פ1xse·lāhHabakkuk 3:13
Parsing patterns
Interjection74xPsalms 3:2, Psalms 3:4, Psalms 3:8, Psalms 4:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. suspension (of music), i.e. pause
Source Gloss
suspension (of music), i.e. pause
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
suspension (of music), i.e. pause BDB: lift up Usage: Selah.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
סֶלָה is built from this root:
סָלָהH5541