How many times is Selah mentioned in the Bible?
The word Selah appears 75 times in the King James Version, in 75 verses. It is found in 3 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Selah 75 times.
Selah in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Selah counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Selah | 75 | 75 |
| Total | 75 | 75 |
First and last mention of Selah
He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
Where the two translations differ
1 verse matches in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 1 verse matches only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
2 Kings 14:7: counted in the KJV only
He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.
He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day.
Isaiah 16:1: counted in the World English Bible only
Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
Verses with Selah on our topic pages
9 verses that use Selah in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
Stand in awe, and don’t sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.
On: Anger, What Does the Bible Say About Meditation? 29 Verses
You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
On: Protection, Fear
though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.
On: Fear, Hard Times
Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
On: Protection, Fear
Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah.
On: Protection, Loneliness
I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
On: Forgiveness
Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
On: Fear
I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.
On: Protection
Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah.
On: Blessings
Common questions
How many times is Selah in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 75 of the 75 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Selah appears in 3 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Psalms has the most (71), then Habakkuk (3) and 2 Kings (1).
Where is Selah first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is 2 Kings 14:7: "He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day." The last is Habakkuk 3:13.
More word counts: behold, verily, manna, Passover, Jehovah, Yahweh, Leviathan, Antichrist, or all 253 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-05.