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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 3:2 Many say of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/3-2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/11/19_Psa_003_002.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 3:2 - Deliver Me, O LORD!" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Many say of me, God will not deliver him. 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Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/3.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Many <i>are</i> they who say of me, “<i>There is</i> no help for him in God.” Selah</i><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/3.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/3.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Many are saying of my soul, &#8220There is no deliverance for him in God.&#8221 Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/3.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/3.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/3.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Many are saying of me, “There is no help [no salvation] for him in God.” Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/3.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Many say about me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/3.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Many say about me,&#8221 There is no help for him in God.&#8221 Selah <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/3.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Many there are that say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. [Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/3.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />me and say, "God won't rescue you!" <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/3.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/3.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Many are saying about me, "Even with God [on his side], he won't be victorious." [Selah]<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/3.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />They talk about me and say, "God will not help him." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/3.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Many are saying about me, "God will never deliver him!" Interlude<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/3.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Many say of me, ?God will not deliver him.? Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/3.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Many say about me, "God will not deliver him." (Selah) <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/3.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Many there are who say of my soul, "There is no salvation for him in God." Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/3.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Many there are who say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/3.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Many there are who say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/3.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/3.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Many are saying of my soul, 'There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/3.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br /><RF q=*><font color=#808080><i>The original Julia E. Smith Bible records the following as a verse reference for </i></font><i><font color=#0000FF> <a href=#>Ps 3:3</a></i></font><Rf>Many saying to my soul, No salvation to him in God. Silence.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/3.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/3.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 3:3>Many say to my soul, “There is no salvation for him in his God.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/3.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />How many say of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.” <i>Selah</i> <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/3.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/3.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Many there are that say to my soul, You have no salvation in your God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/3.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />There are many who say to my soul, "You have no salvation in your God.”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/3.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Many there are that say of my soul: 'There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/3.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Many say concerning my soul, There is no deliverance for him in his God. Pause.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/3-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=142" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/3.htm">Deliver Me, O LORD!</a></span><br><span class="reftext">1</span>A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me! <span class="reftext">2</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7227.htm" title="7227: rab·bîm (Adj-mp) -- Much, many, great. By contracted from rabab; abundant.">Many</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: ’ō·mə·rîm (V-Qal-Prtcpl-mp) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">say</a> <a href="/hebrew/5315.htm" title="5315: lə·nap̄·šî (Prep-l:: N-fsc:: 1cs) -- From naphash; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. Animal of vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense.">of me,</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ḇê·lō·hîm (Prep-b:: N-mp) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">“God</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: ’ên (Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">will not</a> <a href="/hebrew/3444.htm" title="3444: yə·šū·‘ā·ṯāh (N-fs:: 3fs) -- Salvation. Feminine passive participle of yasha'; something saved, i.e. deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity.">deliver</a> <a href="/hebrew/lōw (Prep:: 3ms) -- ">him.”</a> <a href="/hebrew/5542.htm" title="5542: se·lāh (Interjection) -- To lift up, exalt. From calah; suspension, i.e. Pause.">Selah</a> </span><span class="reftext">3</span>But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/27-43.htm">Matthew 27:43</a></span><br />He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/2-9.htm">Job 2:9</a></span><br />Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/36-15.htm">Isaiah 36:15-20</a></span><br />Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ / Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern, / until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/18-30.htm">2 Kings 18:30-35</a></span><br />Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ / Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, / until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey—so that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, for he misleads you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/37-9.htm">Jeremiah 37:9-10</a></span><br />This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not! / Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_samuel/16-7.htm">2 Samuel 16:7-8</a></span><br />And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed! / The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-18.htm">Lamentations 3:18</a></span><br />So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/7-10.htm">Micah 7:10</a></span><br />Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/23-35.htm">Luke 23:35</a></span><br />The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/7-48.htm">John 7:48</a></span><br />“Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/12-37.htm">John 12:37-38</a></span><br />Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him. / This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/8-31.htm">Romans 8:31</a></span><br />What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/1-10.htm">2 Corinthians 1:10</a></span><br />He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_timothy/4-16.htm">2 Timothy 4:16-17</a></span><br />At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. / But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/7-25.htm">Hebrews 7:25</a></span><br />Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.</p><p class="hdg">no</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/22-7.htm">Psalm 22:7</a></b></br> All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, <i>saying</i>,</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/42-3.htm">Psalm 42:3,10</a></b></br> My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where <i>is</i> thy God? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/71-11.htm">Psalm 71:11</a></b></br> Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for <i>there is</i> none to deliver <i>him</i>.</p><p class="hdg">Selah</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/3-4.htm">Psalm 3:4,8</a></b></br> I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/4-2.htm">Psalm 4:2,4</a></b></br> O ye sons of men, how long <i>will ye turn</i> my glory into shame? <i>how long</i> will ye love vanity, <i>and</i> seek after leasing? Selah… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/habakkuk/3-3.htm">Habakkuk 3:3,9,13</a></b></br> God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/job/36-18.htm">Deliver</a> <a href="/job/13-16.htm">Deliverance</a> <a href="/job/36-13.htm">Help</a> <a href="/job/40-14.htm">Salvation</a> <a href="/2_kings/14-7.htm">Selah</a> <a href="/job/36-14.htm">Soul</a> <a href="/job/21-33.htm">Unnumbered</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/3-7.htm">Deliver</a> <a href="/psalms/3-8.htm">Deliverance</a> <a href="/psalms/5-2.htm">Help</a> <a href="/psalms/3-8.htm">Salvation</a> <a href="/psalms/3-4.htm">Selah</a> <a href="/psalms/6-3.htm">Soul</a> <a href="/psalms/40-12.htm">Unnumbered</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 3</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/3-1.htm">The security of God's protection</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/3.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/psalms/3.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Many say of me</b><br>This phrase reflects the psalmist's awareness of the opinions and judgments of others. In the context of <a href="/psalms/3.htm">Psalm 3</a>, David is fleeing from his son Absalom, who has usurped the throne. The phrase indicates the widespread belief among David's adversaries that he is beyond help. This sentiment is echoed in <a href="/2_samuel/16-8.htm">2 Samuel 16:8</a>, where Shimei curses David, suggesting that God has abandoned him. The phrase highlights the isolation and vulnerability David feels, a common theme in the Psalms where the righteous are often surrounded by those who doubt God's presence and power.<p><b>“God will not deliver him.”</b><br>This statement is a direct challenge to David's faith and trust in God. It reflects a common belief in the ancient Near East that a person's misfortune was a sign of divine abandonment. Theologically, this phrase tests the covenant relationship between God and David, as God had promised to establish David's throne forever (<a href="/2_samuel/7-16.htm">2 Samuel 7:16</a>). The doubt expressed here contrasts with the assurance found in other scriptures, such as <a href="/psalms/34-17.htm">Psalm 34:17</a>, which affirms that the Lord delivers the righteous from all their troubles. This phrase also foreshadows the mockery Jesus faced on the cross, as recorded in <a href="/matthew/27-43.htm">Matthew 27:43</a>, where onlookers doubted God's deliverance.<p><b>Selah</b><br>The term "Selah" is often found in the Psalms and is thought to be a musical or liturgical marker, possibly indicating a pause for reflection or a musical interlude. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it serves to emphasize the preceding statement, inviting the reader or listener to contemplate the gravity of the situation. In the context of <a href="/psalms/3.htm">Psalm 3</a>, "Selah" encourages a moment of reflection on the dire circumstances David faces and the challenge to his faith, prompting the audience to consider their own trust in God's deliverance amidst adversity.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/d/david.htm">David</a></b><br>The author of <a href="/bsb/psalms/3.htm">Psalm 3</a>, David is fleeing from his son Absalom, who has rebelled against him. This context of personal betrayal and danger is crucial for understanding the depth of David's lament and trust in God.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/a/absalom.htm">Absalom</a></b><br>David's son, who led a rebellion against his father, causing David to flee Jerusalem. This event is a backdrop for the psalm and highlights the personal and political turmoil David faced.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The central figure in whom David places his trust, despite the doubts expressed by others. The psalm reflects David's reliance on God's salvation and protection.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/e/enemies.htm">Enemies</a></b><br>Those who oppose David, both physically in the form of Absalom's followers and spiritually as those who doubt God's ability to save David.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/s/selah.htm">Selah</a></b><br>A term used in the Psalms, possibly indicating a pause for reflection or musical interlude, emphasizing the gravity of the statement made.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/trust_in_god's_salvation.htm">Trust in God's Salvation</a></b><br>Despite external voices of doubt, believers are called to trust in God's power to save and deliver.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/facing_opposition.htm">Facing Opposition</a></b><br>Like David, Christians may face opposition and doubt from others, but they should remain steadfast in their faith.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_words.htm">The Power of Words</a></b><br>The words of others can deeply affect us, but we must weigh them against the truth of God's promises.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/reflective_pause.htm">Reflective Pause (Selah)</a></b><br>Taking time to pause and reflect on God's faithfulness can strengthen our resolve and trust in Him.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_faithfulness_in_trials.htm">God's Faithfulness in Trials</a></b><br>Even in the midst of personal and external turmoil, God's faithfulness remains a constant source of hope and strength.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_3.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 3</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_musical_terms_are_used_in_psalms.htm">What musical terms are used in Psalms?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_'selah'_mean_in_the_bible.htm">What does "Selah" mean in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/musical_terms_in_the_bible.htm">What musical terms are mentioned in the Bible?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_the_bible_comfort_grief.htm">How does God provide deliverance from troubles?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/psalms/3.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(2) <span class= "bld">There is no help.</span>--According to the current creed, misfortune implied wickedness, and the wicked were God-forsaken. David, too, had sent back Zadok with the Ark, which in the popular view meant sending away the power and the presence of God. Even Zadok seemed to share this feeling; and David's words to him, "thou a seer" (<a href="/2_samuel/15-27.htm" title="The king said also to Zadok the priest, Are not you a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.">2Samuel 15:27</a>), seem to contain something of a rebuke.<p><span class= "bld">Selah.</span>--This curious word must apparently remain for ever what it has been ever since the first translation of the Bible was made--the puzzle of ordinary readers, and the despair of scholars. One certain fact about it has been reached, and this the very obscurity of the term confirms. It has no ethical significance, as the Targum, followed by some other of the old versions and by St. Jerome, implies, for in that case it would long ago have yielded a satisfactory meaning. There are many obscure words in Hebrew, but their obscurity arises from the infrequency of their use; but <span class= "ital">selah </span>occurs no less than seventy-one times in the compass of thirty-nine psalms, and three times in the ode of Habakkuk (<a href="/habakkuk/3-3.htm" title="God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.">Habakkuk 3:3</a>; <a href="/habakkuk/3-9.htm" title="Your bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even your word. Selah. You did split the earth with rivers.">Habakkuk 3:9</a>; <a href="/habakkuk/3-13.htm" title="You went forth for the salvation of your people, even for salvation with your anointed; you wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation to the neck. Selah.">Habakkuk 3:13</a>). It is pretty certain that the sense "for ever," which is the traditional interpretation of the Rabbinical schools, does not suit the majority of these places, and no other moral or spiritual rendering has ever been suggested; nor is it a poetical word, marking the end of a verse or the division into strophes, for it occurs sometimes in the very middle of a stanza, as in <a href="/context/psalms/20-3.htm" title="Remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice; Selah.">Psalm 20:3-4</a>; <a href="/context/psalms/32-4.htm" title="For day and night your hand was heavy on me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.">Psalm 32:4-5</a>; <a href="/context/psalms/52-3.htm" title="You love evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.">Psalm 52:3-4</a>, and often at the end of a psalm (Psalms 46). There is only one conclusion, now universally admitted, that <span class= "ital">selah </span>is a musical term, but in the hopeless perplexity and darkness that besets the whole subject of Hebrew music, its precise intention must be left unexplained. The conjecture that has the most probability on its side makes it a direction to <span class= "ital">play loud. </span>The derivation from <span class= "ital">salah, "</span>to raise," is in favour of this view. The fact that in one place (<a href="/psalms/9-16.htm" title="The LORD is known by the judgment which he executes: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.">Psalm 9:16</a>) it is joined to <span class= "ital">higgaion, </span>which is explained as a term having reference to the sound of stringed instruments, lends support to it, as also does the translation uniformly adopted in the Psalms by the LXX.: <span class= "greekheb">????????</span>--if, indeed, that word means interlude. It is curious that the interpretation next in favour to Ewald's makes the meaning of <span class= "ital">selah </span>exactly the opposite to his--<span class= "ital">piano </span>instead of <span class= "ital">forte</span>--deriving it from a word meaning "to be silent," "to suspend." . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/3.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.</span> When Absalom first raised the standard of revolt, there were no doubt many who looked to see some signal Divine interposition on behalf of the anointed king and against the rebel; but when David fled, and with so few followers (<a href="/2_samuel/15-18.htm">2 Samuel 15:18</a>), and in his flight spoke so doubtfully of his prospects (<a href="/2_samuel/15-26.htm">2 Samuel 15:26</a>), and when no help seemed to arise from any quarter, then we can well understand that men's opinions changed, and they came to think that David was God-forsaken, and would succumb to his unnatural foe (comp. <a href="/psalms/71-10.htm">Psalm 71:10, 11</a>). Partisans of Absalom would see in David's expulsion from his capital a Divine Nemesis (<a href="/2_samuel/16-8.htm">2 Samuel 16:8</a>), and regard it as quite natural that God should not help him. <span class="cmt_word">Selah</span>. There is no traditional explanation of this word. The LXX. rendered it by <span class="greek">διάψαλμα</span> which is said to mean "a change of the musical tone;" but it is against this explanation that <span class="accented">selah</span> occurs sometimes, as here, at the end of a psalm, where no change was possible. Other explanations rest wholly on conjecture, and are valueless. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/3-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Many</span><br /><span class="heb">רַבִּים֮</span> <span class="translit">(rab·bîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7227.htm">Strong's 7227: </a> </span><span class="str2">Much, many, great</span><br /><br /><span class="word">say</span><br /><span class="heb">אֹמְרִ֪ים</span> <span class="translit">(’ō·mə·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of me,</span><br /><span class="heb">לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(lə·nap̄·šî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5315.htm">Strong's 5315: </a> </span><span class="str2">A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion </span><br /><br /><span class="word">“God</span><br /><span class="heb">בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים</span> <span class="translit">(ḇê·lō·hîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> </span><span class="str2">gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative</span><br /><br /><span class="word">will not</span><br /><span class="heb">אֵ֤ין</span> <span class="translit">(’ên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> </span><span class="str2">A non-entity, a negative particle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">deliver him.”</span><br /><span class="heb">יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה</span> <span class="translit">(yə·šū·‘ā·ṯāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3444.htm">Strong's 3444: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Selah</span><br /><span class="heb">סֶֽלָה׃</span> <span class="translit">(se·lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interjection<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5542.htm">Strong's 5542: </a> </span><span class="str2">Suspension, pause</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/3-2.htm">Psalm 3:2 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/3-2.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 3:2 Many there are who say of my (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/3-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 3:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 3:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/3-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 3:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 3:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>