What does selah mean? Is it like Amen or what?

Question

It's in the bible (King James Version) at the end of certain verses.

Answer 1

What does the word Selah mean? There has been much conjecture and speculation by some theologians, and due in no small part to this speculation, Christians are frequently confused as to the true meaning of this word. Having been been told everything from, "the original Hebrew has been lost," to "Jewish scholars agree it means forever," it's easy to understand their confusion. In addition, many are assured that because this word appears only in the psalms and a poetic section of Habakkuk (which is not true), they are justified in "assuming" that it is just a musical term indicating an interlude. I have even read that Selah is from an Aramaic word, and it really means worship. All of which serves not to enlighten the Church, but to confuse the issue.

With all of these "experts" making such contradictory statements, one tends to wonder, "can we even really know what Selah means?" The answer to this question I believe is yes. And the answer really shouldn't be subjective or left to conjecture, for there is much we can learn about this word from the Hebrew in which it is written, from allowing the scripture to be its own dictionary, and from comparing scripture with scripture and allowing God to be His own interpreter. All of these things can give us a solid illustration of this word's true meaning.

Selah, [celah], is from the primary Hebrew root word [calah] which means 'to hang,' and by implication to measure (weigh). This is readily understood because in Biblical history, money, food and other valuables were 'weighed' by hanging or suspending them on a type of balance (the equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine their value. We find an example of this word [calah] as it is literally translated 'valued,' in the book of Job, indicating that which is measured.

Answer 2

Selah Meaning

Answer 3

Selah 5542 celah seh'-law
from 'calah' (5541); suspension (of music), i.e. pause:--Selah.

This word may be from one of two roots; from salah = to pause; or from salal = to lift up. There is no need to descend to the guesses as to musical terms. A reference to Ap. 65 (p. 92, Int. Col. 1) will lead us o connect it with subject-matter, not with music; and with truth, not with tunes. Some say it occurs always at the beginning of a strophe; others, always at the end. But this is a question of fact, and not of argument. The outstanding fact is that in four cases it comes in the middle of a verse, i.e. Ps. 55:19; 57:3; and Hab. 3:3, 9.

Sometimes it is the Structures which are connected.
Sometimes it is synthetic, and adds a development of thought by connecting a prayer with that which forms the basis of it.
Sometimes it is antithetic, and adds a contrast.
Or it connects a cause with an effect, or an effect with a cause.

Answer 4

Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic are sister languages.
Hebrew and Aramaice gradually no longer in use within masses.
While Arabic still a language commonly used by Arabs (Muslims and non Muslims both) and muslims all around the world, internatiionally.

In Arabic Salawt mean praying to God Almighty, Five times a Day. Salawt also called as salah as well. therefore " selah" might be same as Salawt or Salah in Arabic for prayers. Like in Aramaic and Hebrew word for english name of God is Elai, Elah, as In Arabic proper name for God is Allah.

God Almighty knows best.

S eek, S hare, and S pread K nowledge.

Answer 5

It's a word that no one knows for sure what it means. There are a lot of theories about it. The word only appears in the book of Psalms. The word appears in the original Hebrew, but its meaning has been lost.

Some people say it means "Amen". Some say it is some kind of instruction. Some people say it's a musical instruction (similar to "Chorus"). But they're all just educated guesses. No one knows for sure anymore.

Answer 6

I went to google and this is what I came up with ...

Selah ( Hebrew: סלה) meaning "pause, reflection", within the context of a prayer or psalms, is similar in purpose to Amen in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage.

Answer 7

Weren't the Selah a race on the Star Trek next generation show. I think they were on the Encounter at Farpoint episode.

Answer 8

Yeah, I seen it too. Encarta dictionary says this:

uncertain biblical term: an ancient Hebrew word of unknown meaning and uncertain grammatical status that appears in some books of the Bible and is therefore, when included in English translations, left untranslated.
It is used to perform a punctuating function between verses.

Answer 9

It is either a stronger statement than a simple 'amen' or it is a musical instruction. In either case, its purpose is to indicate an emphasis.

Answer 10

In the Psalms - it could mean either "musical solo or interlude"...or perhaps a pause for prayer. The original meaning of the Hebrew has been lost