1. Psalm 87:3 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the meaning of Selah?

Psalm 87:3 (ESV)

3 Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah

We don’t know what this word means. It occurs on seventy-four occasions in Scripture and is most likely a musical or liturgical term referring to a silence, a pause, or an interlude. It is found primarily in the book of Psalms (e.g., Psalm 3:1–8; Psalm 4:1–8; Psalm 32:1–11; Psalm 46:1–11; Psalm 89:1–52; Psalm 140:1–13) but also in Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:3, Habakkuk 3:9, Habakkuk 3:13).