Se'lah (2 Kings xiv, 7). See Sela.
Se'lah (Heb. /</. nbo). This word, which is only found in the jioetical books of the Old Test., occurs sev- enty-one times in the Psalms, and three times in Hab- akknk. In sixteen psalms it is found once, in fifteen twice, in seven tliree times, and in one four times — al- ways at the end of a verse, except in Psa. Iv. 19 [20]; Ivii, 3 I 4], and Hab, iii, 3, 9, where it is in the middle of a verse, though at the end of a clause. All the psalms in which it occurs, except eleven (iii. vii. xxiv. xxxii, xlviii, 1. Ixxxii, Ixxxiii, Ixxxvii, Ixxxix, cxliii), have also the musical direction " to the Chief Musician"
SELAH
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SELAH
(comp, also Hab. iii, 19); and in these exceptions we find the words "l^T^, mizmor (A. V. "Psalm"), Shig- gaion, or Maschil, which sufficiently indicate that they were intended for music. Besides these, in tlie titles of the psalms in which Selah occurs, we meet with tlie musical terms Alamoth (xlvi), Altaschith (Ivii. lix, Ixxv), Gittith (Ixxxi, Ixxxiv), Mahalath Leannoth (Ixxxviii), Michtam (Ivii, lix, Ix), Neginah (Ixi), Ne- ginoth (iv, liv, Iv, Ixvii, Ixxvi; comp. Hab. iii, 19), and 81iushan-eduth (Ix) ; and on this association alone might be formed a strong presumption that, like these, Selah itself is a term which liad a meaning in the nm- sical nomenclature of the Hebrews. What that mean- ing may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. Of the many theories which have been framed, it is easier to say what is not likely to be the true one than to pronounce certainly ujion what is.
1. The Versions. — In the far greater number of in- stances the Targum renders the word by "ppbyS, "for- ever;" four times (Psa. xxxii, 4, 7; xxxix, 11 [12]; 4 [6]) S-C^^b; once (xliv, 8 [9])''i'"?br ''•zhvh ; and (xlviii, 8'[9J) ■("ipb? '^■?^? nr, with the same mean- ing, "for ever and ever." In Psa. xlix, 13 [14] it has "^rX"! ifcbrlp, "for tlie world to come;" in Psa. xxxix, 5 [G] N'cb^ "^.^"b, "for the life everlasting;" and in Psa. cxl, 5 [6] N"l^"in, "continually." This interpre- tation, which is the one adopted by the majority of Kabbinical writers, is purely traditional, and based upon no etymology whatever. It is followed by Atpiila, who renders " Selah" oei ; by the editio quintet and editio sexta, which usually give respectively lianarro^ and £('c rfXoc; by Symmachus {tic riv alon'o) and Theo- dotion (fi'e TtXot;), in Habakkuk ; by the reading of the Alex. MS. {vQ tsXoq) in Hab. iii, 13; by the Peshito- Syriac in Psa. iii, 8 [9] , iv, 2 [3] , xxiv, 10, and Hab. iii, 13; and by Jerome, who has sempe?: In Psa. Iv, 19 [20] nSO C"1|^, hedem seluh, is rendered in the Peshito " from before the world." That this rendering is man- ifestly inappropriate in some passages, as, for instance, Psa. xxi, 2 [3]; xxxii, 4; Ixxxi, 7 [8], and Hab. iii, 3, and superfluous in others, as Psa. xliv, 8 [9] ; Ixxxiv, 4 [5] ; Ixxxix, 4 [5], was pointed out long since by Aben-Ezra. In the Psalms the uniform rendering of the Sept. is SioxpaX/Jia. Symmachus and Theodotion give the same, except in Psa. ix, IG [17], where Theo- dotion has chi, and Psa. Iii, 5 [7], where Symmachus has eic «£'■ In Hab. iii, 13 the Alex. MS. gives tig rt- Xog. In Psa. xxxviii (in tlie Sept.), 7; Ixxx, 7 [8], Siai\ja\fia is added in the Sept., and in Hab. iii, 7 in the Alex, MS, In Psa. Ivii it is put at the end of ver. 2; and in Psa, iii,8 [9]; xxiv, 10, Ixxxviii. 10 [11], it is omitted altogether. In all passages except those al- ready referred to, in whicii it follows the Targum, the Peshito-Syriac has dips, an abbreviation for Cirt^aX^a. This abbreviation is added in Psa. xlviii, 13 [14] ; 1, 13 [16]; Ixviii, 13 [14], Ivii, 2, Ixxx, 7 [8], at the end of the verse ; and in Psa, Iii, 3 in the middle of the verse after 31^12 ; in Psa, xlix it is put after 'NSS in ver. 14 [15], and in Psa, Ixviii, after IT^^"^ in ver. 8 [9], and after C^n'SXb in ver. .32 [33]. The Vulgate omits it entirelv, while in Hab, iii, 3 the editio sexta and others give pETciiioXr) ciarpoX/iaroi;.
2, The Church Fathers. — These generally adopt the rendering Sid4^a\fin of the Sept, and other translators, although it is in every way as traditional as that of the Targum " forever," and has no foundation in any known etymology. With regard to the meaning of CuixpnXfia itself, there are many opinions. Both Origen (Comtn. ad Psa., 0pp. ed, Delarue, ii, 61G) and Athanasius (%- nojjg. Sc7-ipt. Sacr, xiii) are silent upon this point, Ku- sebius of Caesarea (Prce/. in J'sa.) says it marked those passages in which the Holy Spirit ceased for a time to work upon the choir. Gregory of Nyssa (Tract. 2 in Psa. cap, x) interprets if as a sudden lull in the midst of
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the psalmody, in order to receive anew the divine inspi- ration. Chrysostom {0pp. ed. Montfaucon, v, 540) takes it to indicate the portion of the jisalm which was given to another clioir. Augustine {On I'sa. iv) regards it as an interval of silence in the psalmody. Jerome (A}>, ad M urcellani) enumerates tlie various opinions w'hich have been held upon the subject; that diapsahnu de- notes a change of metre, a cessation of the Spirit's in- fluence, or tlie beginning of another sense. Others, he says, regard it as indicating a difference of rhythm, and the silence of some kind of music in the choir; but for himself he falls back upon the version of Aquila, and renders Selah by semjwr, with a reference to the custom of the Jews to put at the end of their writings Amen, Selah, or Shalom, In his Commentari/ on Psa. iii he is doubtful whether to regard it as simply a musical sign, or as indicating the perpetuity of the truth contained in the passage after which it is placed; so that, he says, " wheresoever Selah (that is, diajisalma or semper) is put, there we may know that what follows, as well as what precedes, belongs not only to the present time, but to eternit}'," Theodoret {Prcpf. in I'sa.) exjjlains diapsal- ma by fiiXoi^Q piTa(ioXi] or ivaXXayi) (as Suidas), "a change of the melody," On the whole, the rendering SidxpnXpa rather increases the difficulty, for it does not appear to be the true meaning of Selah, and its own sig- nification is obscure.