Psalms 89:45 — Word Study
WLCהִ֭קְצַרְתָּ יְמֵ֣י עֲלוּמָ֑יו הֶֽעֱטִ֨יתָ עָלָ֖יו בּוּשָׁ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃
BSAto ceaseshâbath purityṭôhar thronekiççêʼ landʼerets to castmâgar
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ | you have made short | Verb, Hiphil, perfect second person masculine singular |
| יְמֵ֣י | [the] days of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| עֲלוּמָ֑יו | youth his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| הֶֽעֱטִ֨יתָ | you have wrapped | Verb, Hiphil, perfect second person masculine singular |
| עָלָ֖יו | on him | Preposition, suffix |
| בּוּשָׁ֣ה | shame | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| סֶֽלָה׃ | Selah | Particle |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have cut short the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah |
| KJV | The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. |
| ASV | The days of his youth hast thou shortened: Thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah |
| YLT | Thou hast shortened the days of his youth, Hast covered him over [with] shame. Selah. |
| WEB | You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah. |
| BBE | You have made him old before his time; he is covered with shame. (Selah.) |
Where they part company is יְמֵ֣י — see How Translations Differ.
Two main clauses linked by a common theme of loss, followed by a reflective pause.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁבַת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 89:45
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament of Lossgenerated
Psalm 89:45 reflects the psalmist's anguish over the abrupt end to the vitality of youth and the overwhelming shame that follows. This verse is part of a larger lament where the psalmist grapples with feelings of abandonment and loss, questioning God's actions and seeking understanding amidst suffering. The surrounding verses contribute to a theme of despair and longing for restoration, as seen in Psalm 89:44 and Psalm 89:46.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 89:28–29 | I will forever preserve My loving devotion for him, and My covenant with him will stand fast. |
| 2 | 2 Chronicles 10:19 | So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. |
| 3 | Isaiah 63:18 | For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary. |
| 4 | Psalm 44:15 | All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face, |
| 5 | Psalm 109:29 | May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ, Hik.tzar.tagenerated
The verb הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ is a Hiphil perfect form of the root שָׁבַת (shavat), meaning 'to make short' or 'to cut off.' It conveys the idea of something being abruptly ended or curtailed, similar to the act of harvesting. In this context, it indicates a premature end to the days of youth, suggesting a sense of loss and grief.
This word evokes strong emotions, as it is often associated with feelings of discouragement. The psalmist uses it to express a profound sense of injustice over the shortening of his life and the vitality that should accompany youth.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse's structure is governed by two finite verbs: הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ, you have cut short, and הֶֽעֱטִ֨יתָ, you have covered. The first verb introduces the main action, while the second verb describes the consequence of that action. This parallelism emphasizes the connection between the two actions.
The two clauses are linked by the common theme of loss and shame, with the object of the second verb, בּוּשָׁ֣ה, shame, reinforcing the emotional weight of the psalmist's lament.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ as κατέλυσας, which means 'you have ended.' This choice reflects a similar sense of finality and abruptness as the Hebrew, emphasizing the severity of the action.
The translation of יְמֵ֣י as ἀπὸ indicates a prepositional approach, which may shift the focus slightly from the days themselves to the concept of time or duration.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 89:45 expresses the psalmist's sorrow over the early end of his youth and the shame that has come upon him. This verse is part of a larger lament where the psalmist feels abandoned and questions God’s actions.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a sudden and premature end to the vitality and potential of youth, leading to feelings of loss and grief.
Shame is presented as a heavy burden that overwhelms the psalmist, indicating a deep emotional pain associated with his circumstances.
Selah is a musical term suggesting a pause for reflection, inviting the reader to contemplate the weight of the psalmist's lament.
This verse contributes to the themes of loss, abandonment, and the questioning of God’s faithfulness found throughout Psalm 89.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced feelings of loss or shame in my own life?
- How can I find hope in moments when I feel abandoned or discouraged?
- What does it mean to me to reflect on the brevity of life as expressed in this psalm?
- How can I support others who are experiencing feelings of shame or loss?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 89:45 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe days of his youth hast thou shortened,.... His days of joy and pleasure; such as days of youth are, in opposition to the days of old age, which are evil, Ecclesiastes 11:9, these were shortened
Read John Gill on Psalms 89 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. -The people of the covenant contrast the sad state of things actually with what the covenant seemed to promise. Similarly in Psalms 44:9. Verse 38.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 89 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe youthful and flourishing estate of David’ s kingdom was very short, and reached not beyond his next successor, and it hath been languishing by degrees till this time, when it seems to be dead and buried.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 89 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 89:45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.Ver. 45. The days of his youth hast thou shortened] Thou hast nipped him in the bud, snatched him away by an untimely end, as a young man is sometimes in his prime and pride. Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah] Thou hast wrapped him up in the winding sheet of shame. Lord, this is true.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 89 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 45. The days of his youth hast thou shortened] Our kings have not reigned half their days, nor lived out half their lives. The four last kings of Judea reigned but a short time, and either died by the sword or in captivity. Jehoahaz reigned only three months, and was led captive to Egypt, where he died. Jehoiakim reigned only eleven years, and was tributary to the Chaldeans, who put him to death, and cast his body into the common sewer. Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days, and was led captive to Babylon, where he continued in prison to the time of Evilmerodach, who, though he loosed him from prison, never invested him with any power. Zedekiah, the last of all, had reigned…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 89 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges45. He is prematurely old. Cp. Psalms 102:23. The words might be figuratively applied to the nation (Hosea 7:9), or to the kingdom, prematurely brought to an end: but it is more natural to regard them as referring to the king himself. Jehoiachin was but 18 (2 Kings 24:8), or according to 2 Chronicles 36:9, only 8 years old, when he came to the throne, and he reigned only three months and ten days. The prime of his life was spent in exile, apparently in actual confinement in which he was literally ‘clothed with dishonour’ (2 Kings 25:29).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 89 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe days of his youth hast thou shortened - This does not mean that he had shortened his life, but that he had abbreviated the period of his vigor, his hope, and his prosperity; instead of
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 89 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible45. Days of his youth hast thou shortened—Contrast Psalms 4:29-36. In fine, every specification of the covenant seems annulled by the present disastrous state of the nation.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 89 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You have cut short the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah
You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.
You have cut short the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah
You have cut short his youth, and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
Tyndale line
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: Thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
The dayes of his youth hast thou shortned, and couered him with shame. Selah.
Strictly literal
The days of his youth hast thou shortened; thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
Thou hast shortened the days of his youth, Hast covered him over [with] shame. Selah.
You have shortened the days of his youth, || Have covered him over [with] shame. Selah.
(89:46) Thou hast shortened the days of his youth: thou hast enshrouded him with shame. Selah.
You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah
Simplified
You have made him grow old before his time; you have totally humiliated him. Selah.
You have made him old before his time; he is covered with shame. (Selah.)
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads, "You have cut short the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in terms of the overall meaning and structure, as all seven words correspond, though the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment 4Q87 contains five words from the verse, but one is partly restored and four are supplied by an editor, indicating some textual variation, though it is unclear how they directly compare to the Masoretic Text in this instance.
הִ֭קְצַרְתָּ יְמֵ֣י עֲלוּמָ֑יו הֶֽעֱטִ֨יתָ עָלָ֖יו בּוּשָׁ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
השבתה [מטהר׳ו] [וכסא׳ו] [לארץ] [מגרתה]
5 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 89:45
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קָצֵר (qatsar) is a Hebrew word that primarily means 'to be short' or 'to reap.' It is built from a primitive root that conveys the idea of curtailing or harvesting, applicable in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate that it can express feelings of impatience or grief, as well as the act of harvesting crops.
[קָצֵר], I. קָצַר vb. be short
Qal be short
Pi. shorten
Hiph. id.
base
[קָצַר] vb. reap, harvest
H7114a קָצֵר, קָצַר be short H7114b קָצַר reap, harvest
7114 qatsar kaw-tsar'
a primitive root; to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or
intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest
(grass or grain):--X at all, cut down, much discouraged,
grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax)
short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.
קָצֵר (qa.tser) — be short.
1) to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved
1a) (Qal) to be short
1b) (Piel) to shorten
1c) (Hiphil) to shorten
קָצַר (qa.tsar) — to reap.
1) to reap, harvest
1a) (Qal) to reap, harvest
1b) (Hiphil) to reap, harvest
HVhp2ms — Verb · Hiphil · perfect second person masculine singularHVhp2ms
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
עָלוּמִים, transliterated as aluwm, refers to youth or youthful vigor, appearing only in the plural form. It is derived as a passive participle from related roots, indicating a sense of adolescence and vitality.
[עָלוּמִים] n.pl.abstr. youth, youthful vigour
base
H5934 עָלוּמִים, עָלוּם
5934 `aluwm aw-loom'
passive participle of 5956 in the denominative sense of 5958;
(only in plural as abstract) adolescence; figuratively,
vigor:--youth.
see HEBREW for 05956
see HEBREW for 05958
עָלוּמִים (a.lum) — youth.
youth, youthful, vigour
HNcmpc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
עָטָה (atah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to wrap, enwrap, or cover oneself. It can also mean to grasp. The entries indicate that in the Qal form, it refers to actions like wrapping or enveloping, while the Hiphil form involves covering someone with shame. The word appears in contexts related to mourning and physical covering.
עָטָה vb. wrap oneself, enwrap, envelop oneself
Qal
wrap, envelop oneself with sthg.
Hiph. thou hast wrapped shame upon him
H5844a עָטָה wrap oneself, enwrap, envelop oneself H5844b עָטָה grasp
5844 `atah aw-taw'
a primitive root; to wrap, i.e. cover, veil, cloth, or
roll:--array self, be clad, (put a) cover (-ing, self), fill,
put on, X surely, turn aside.
עָטָה (a.tah) — to enwrap.
1) to cover, enwrap, wrap oneself, envelop oneself
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to wrap, envelop oneself
1a2) to cover (the beard in mourning)
1a3) mourner, one who covers (participle)
1b) (Hiphil) to cover, enwrap, envelop
עָטָה (a.tah) — to grasp.
1) to grasp
1a) (Qal) to grasp
HVhp2ms — Verb · Hiphil · perfect second person masculine singularHVhp2ms
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
בּוּשָׁה (buwshah) is a feminine noun meaning 'shame.' It is derived from the root word represented by Strong's H954. The entries consistently define it as shame, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
בּוּשָׁה n.f. shame
base
H955 בּוּשָׁה
955 buwshah boo-shaw'
feminine participle passive of 954; shame:--shame.
see HEBREW for 0954
בּוּשָׁה (bu.shah) — shame.
shame
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
sham (bosh, "to be ashamed," bosheth, "shame," qalon; aischune, "ignominy," atimia, "dishonor," and other words): An oft-recurring word in Scripture almost uniformly bound up with a sense of sin and guilt. It is figuratively set forth as a wild beast (Jer 3:24), a Nessus-garment (Jer 3:25), a blight (Jer 20:18), a sin against one's own soul (Hab 2:10), and twice as the condensed symbol of Hebrew abomination--Baal (Jer 11:13 margin; Ho 9:10 margin; see ISH-BOSHETH). It is bracketed with defeat (Isa 30:3), reproach…
סֶ֫לָה (selah) means to lift up or exalt. It is primarily recognized as a musical term indicating a pause or interruption, often found in the Psalms. The word is derived from a root meaning 'suspension' and appears frequently in the context of music, suggesting accentuation.
סֶ֫לָה vb. lift up, or exalt;—this interpr. agrees with usage: 71 t. in 39 ψψ, 3 t. Hb 3
base
H5542 סֶ֫לָה lift up, or exalt
5542 celah seh'-law
from 5541; suspension (of music), i.e. pause:--Selah.
see HEBREW for 05541
סֶ֫לָה (se.lah) — Selah.
§ 1) to lift up, exalt
1a) Selah
1a1) a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption
HTj — ParticleHTj
se'-la.
See MUSIC, II, 1.
Selah
A word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:9, 13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning “silence” or “pause;” others, “end,” “a louder strain,” “piano,” etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., “a division.”
This word, which is found only in the poetical books of the Old Testament, occurs seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. It is probably a term which had a meaning in the musical nomenclature of the Hebrews, though what that meaning may have been is now a matter of pure conjecture. (Gesenius and Ewald and others think it has much the same meaning as our interlude,--a pause in the voices singing, while the instruments perform alone.)
A musical term which occurs seventy-three times in the Psalms, and is found also in Hab 3:3,9,13. It usually occurs at the end of a period or apostrophe, but sometimes at the end only of a clause. This difficult word, it is now generally believed, was a direction for a meditative pause in the singing of a psalm, during which perhaps there was an instrumental interlude.