selah

[ see-luh, sel-uh ]

/ ˈsi lə, ˈsɛl ə /

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noun

an expression occurring frequently in the Psalms, thought to be a liturgical or musical direction, probably a direction by the leader to raise the voice or perhaps an indication of a pause.

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Origin of selah

First recorded in 1520–30, selah is from the Hebrew word selāh

Words nearby selah

Sekt, sel, selachian, seladang, selaginella, selah, Selam, selamlik, Selangor, Selby, selcouth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use selah in a sentence

As Selah talks to Mora, the two embark on a kind of intertextual journey.
Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|July 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He was a very busy man, de Psalmist—writin' down hymns all day, sharpen'n' his lead-pencil, bossin' 'roun' de choir—callin' Selah!
Eli|Heman White Chaplin
But—'here comes the Selah and the voice is hushed'—I will speak of other things.
The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Vol. 1 (of 2) 1845-1846|Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett
In this view, the word selah directs a repetition of the air or song from the commencement, to the parts where it is placed.
Notes and Queries, Number 236, May 6, 1854|Various

Herder held that selah denoted a swell, or a change in the rapidity of the movement, or in the key.
Notes and Queries, Number 236, May 6, 1854|Various
Afterwards, the Methodist brother learned that he had entertained a Baptist unawares—Selah.
The American Missionary, October, 1890, Vol. XLIV., No. 10|Various

British Dictionary definitions for selah

selah

/ (ˈsiːlə) /

noun

a Hebrew word of unknown meaning occurring in the Old Testament psalms, and thought to be a musical direction

Word Origin for selah

C16: from Hebrew

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012