Hebrew word “Selah” - Pronounced “SAY’ - luh”.
Also spelled: Sela, (Grk): Petra, (Calah),
Sala, Sal, Salal, Solela. These words
all have integrated meaning from the root word meaning to lift/lifted up.
The exact meaning has been debated since the
second century.
Since the 19th century, it has become the focus of a handful of
publications exploring it’s meaning and function in the Psalms. The unearthing of the Dead Sea Scrolls
offered a clue in understanding it’s use in the *Second Temple period.
It appears that the meaning and function of our word Selah
have been missing in action since antiquity.
The Vulgate (Latin version of the Bible) offers the even more enigmatic semper,
which means always.
The Septuagint translated this word to mean through the psalm, or inter-Psalmic
– a division.
AS A VERB: Strong’s
Concordance states Selah is a live term in the *Second Temple Period.
What do you suppose they mean by a “live” term? Read a little further and find out:
In Psalms & Habakkuk. In Psalms, it appears 71 times in 39 Psalms. Many of the lines that include selah use it as a conclusion or break in the stanza. Thirty-one of these were directed to the choirmaster or director. These uses easily reference selah as a type of musical instruction, which strongly indicates that it represents a fairly common feature of Jewish worship, and particularly worship in the late Persian period. The use of this word was revived in the first century BC (says BDB Theological Dictionary), which makes it highly likely that the Jewish communities of the first century AD knew of it and probably used it, and that means we should expect to see it in the New Testament. A key feature remains the achievement of a kind of mass-harmony. It seems to us that those Jewish communities enjoyed an ability to sing the way a flock of starlings may dance and pump: without central direction or plan but without anyone bumping into their neighbor.
In Habakkuk, it appears 3 times in Chapter 3:3, 9 and 13. Here it calls us (as in most of the Psalms) to pause, reflect and praise God; to “lift up, exalt”. It most commonly occurs per Psalm just once, or twice but it also occurs three times and once it occurs four times (in Psalm 89).
Haba. 3:9, In some translations “Selah” is omitted, in the original Hebrew, at the end of 9a and at the end of verse 13.
Recent studies show that if we develop a mindset of gratitude it will improve mood, decrease depression and improve sleep. Our bodies were designed to give praise and thanks to God. By living a life of selah, lifting up the Lord, that blessing returns to us.
AS A NOUN: Sela refers to a “cliff or crag”. Even when used to “lift up, exalt” it is a fitting definition for both the soaring cliffs of Petra (Greek for Sela) and the omnipotent God of Psalms, who deserves constant praise.
Gen. 5:25, we find the name of MethuSelah, the oldest living man. His name means “His Death Brings Desparing Rest”. (Desparing means: unequaled.) Selah can reference something unequaled. The Flood came AFTER Methuselah died. Can we see an unequaled period of devastation (or change), when there was a new beginning? Could this also be the original meaning of the verb used in the Psalms to indicate a musical rest or a pause to praise? The flood was a period of rest for Noah and his family.
Judges 1:36, refers to Sela as a place (a noun).
I Sam. 23:28, shows the word Sela as a place where Saul stopped pursuing David. David went on to En Gedi (Oasis on west shore of Dead Sea) which is not far – both are in the southern and southwest area of the Dead Sea. Sela was Edom’s capitol. Saul's search for David in Sela, was interrupted; could David have been hiding in the rock cliffs of Sela?
II Kings 14:7, references Sela as part of Edom (the capitol). This verse could be transliterated as the king “took the rock by war”. The meaning to Sela here is “rock”. Selah was a specific city (possibly modern-day Petra), a stronghold noted in Edom.
Psalm 32:7, Selah highlights the very nature and character of God. Good example in this verse: “hiding place” can reference Selah as a noun and “songs of deliverance” (praise of God) reference the word as a verb. The overall message in this Psalm is one of human sin followed by divine deliverance. (Sin = verb; deliverance = noun)
Isa. 16:1 references Sela as a place made of rock.
Isa. 42:11 infers Sela is mountaintops.
Isa. 63:1 references Edom, whose capitol is Sela. Isaiah is describing the coming of Christ as
vengeance for Edom’s persecution of His people.
(Will Edom/Sela shelter God’s people?)
Jeremiah 48:28, NIV says “rocks”. Hebrew says “Selah”. Greek says, “Petra”. These three words reference the same thing: a place of rocky cliffs.
Daniel 11:41, predicts that Edom will be delivered. Sela was the capitol of Edom. Sela will be delivered.
Obadiah 1:1-3, Here Edom is referenced as having clefts of rocks – where Sela is. It is easy to hide in the clefts of rocks.
In Habukkuk. 3:3, “God came from Teman (south of Jordan),
from Mt. Paran.” According to Rashi (a
second century Hebrew historian) this references the giving of the Torah (the
five books of Moses). The Torah was given
to Moses on Mt. Sinai. We then conclude
that Paran is another name for Sinai. (Teman
and Paran, are south of Judah, in Edom.
Edom is also in the area of Sinai.)
* Simplify: Mt Paran is in Teman
– Torah was given from Mt. Sinai (also called Mt. Paran) – Both are in the
southern area of Judah in Edom, who’s capitol city is Sela.
Different names of places are used possibly due to different times in
history with different tribes and people inhabiting these areas and using
variations of languages.
Haba. 3:19, In this verse, the term “high places” is referenced by some scholars as Sela.
Mt. 24:16, In this verse, the term “mountains” is referenced by some scholars as Sela. (Matthew wrote in great detail to the Hebrew people.) New Testament calls this Petra in the Greek.
Lk. 21:1, Here, the word “mountains” is also referenced as Sela, by Bible scholars. (N.T: Petra)
Rev. 6:15 & 16, Scholars of the Bible interpret “rocks” and “mountains” as a reference to Sela just southeast of Dead Sea, which is in the south of Israel.
Rev 12:13 & 14 Read these verses with substituted words. Interpretation: Dragon = Satan, woman = Israel, male child = Jesus, wings = airplane, wilderness = Sela, a time = one year, times = 2 years, half a time = six months.
P.S: Job 28:19, The price of wisdom, which is to seek and find answers in God’s Word, is worth more than pure gold. The word “valued” (“compared” in the NIV is a mistranslation) is taken from “Calah” which is another term for Selah. Is he saying, the place of Sela is of high value? Also of great value is praising or listening for God (Selah as a verb).
My Research Summary:
Sela(h): noun = Sela, verb = Selah, Greek =
Petra
For this word to be referenced so many times, it must be important.
Since it is hidden, is it a reference to the End Times and/or meant for us to
“seek and find” a “pearl of great price” (as in Job 28:19)?
Sela was built during 3 periods: 18th century thru 2nd
century BC when it was destroyed by an earth quake; second century to 106 BC;
and 106 BC to 363 AD.
Sela was the capitol of Edom (Heb: red); Edomites descended from Esau
who had red hair. Gen. 36:43
Mt. Seir is in Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea.
Gen. 32:3, 36:8, Deut. 2:22.
Heb: Seir means “hairy” or “rides on the storm”. Esau was known as being hairy with a temper.
Sela was capitol of Edom, land of Edomites, enemies of the Hebrew people, descendants of Esau. God takes evil and turns it to good.
Did David hide from Saul at Sela Before moving to the En Gedi Oasis? I Sam. 23:25 & 28
As a verb it means a pause in prose where one listens
and God speaks; His word is a resting place.
In Hebrew, as a noun, Sela means lofty, craggy rock,
stronghold, cliff. Jesus
is our rock of safety.
The rocky cliffs of Sela (called Petra in the New Testament) glow golden red at sunset. Dwellings and passageways are built into the walls with doorways and windows. There is only one way in and out; it is narrow. This stronghold cannot be seen from the sky.
From the Hebrew alphabet (Alef-bet) the letters that make up the word, Sela, are hey, lamed and samech. Hey (heh) references God’s grace. Lamed (LAH-mehd) references a shepherd’s staff of protection. Samech (SAH-mehkh) references a prop that lifts up. Defining these letters in the word Sela/Selah we can define the word to represent the grace of God, the protection of our divine Shepherd and lifting up praise to both.
Question: Is the craggy cliffs of Sela where God will
shelter His chosen people in safety during the tribulation?
AMEN
