Karen Corne’s Post

What does the word "Selah", often seen in Psalms mean? The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (2006) states that the main derivation of the Hebrew word selah is found through the fientive verb root which means "to lift up (voices)" or "to exalt," and also carries a close connotational relationship to the verb which is similar in meaning: "to lift up" or "to cast up." The word which shifts the accent back to the last syllable of the verb form, indicates that in this context, the verb is being used in the imperative mood as somewhat of a directive to the reader. As such, perhaps the most instructive way to view the use of this word, particularly in the context of the Psalms, would be as the writer's instruction to the reader to pause and exalt the Lord.