10/17/2025
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲! ✨
I had an encounter not long ago where I was sharing The Selah Journey with a small group of people. I always keep a copy with me, just in case there’s a moment to revisit it or an opportunity to share it with someone new. As we talked, people became really intrigued by the name itself. Among them were two Arabic women, one of whom was Emirati. They asked me about the word Selah—what it meant and where it came from.
I explained that Selah is an ancient Hebrew word, often found in the Psalms. Its meaning isn’t precisely defined, but from context it’s understood to carry this beautiful blend of rest, reflection, and gratitude.
That’s when one of them said, “That’s so interesting, because Selah (or Silah) is also an Arabic word.”
I was surprised. I hadn’t known that. We began talking about the beauty of the Semitic languages, with Hebrew and Arabic being two of the remaining ones still spoken today. In these languages, every word is built from a root, usually three letters, that carries a core meaning. Words formed from the same root share that same essence.
In Hebrew, Selah shares a root with another word that means “high place,” a space of worship or connection with something beyond yourself. When you think of Selah as rest, reflect, and gratitude, it makes sense—you pause, take in what you’ve experienced, and respond in reverence to something greater. It’s a rhythm of rest that leads to worship, reflection that leads to connection.
In Arabic, that same root carries the meaning of connection.
That moment was a revelation. Because when I shared the five Selah principles, the last one is all about connection—connection with your community, with yourself, and with your source or spirituality.
It was incredible to realize that, without even knowing it, the Hebrew and Arabic meanings of Selah were telling the same story. Rest, reflection, and gratitude are all forms of connection: with the divine, with your own soul, and with the people around you.
So even in the very word that holds our whole process, Selah, there’s a deeper, cross-linguistic truth. It’s all about connection. And somehow, it fits so perfectly, as if it was always meant to.
If you’re longing for a season of rest, reflection, and reconnection, get your copy of The Selah Journey today and begin your own path toward inner peace and spiritual growth. Check the link in the comments ⬇
📷 Photo grabbed from the Selah Book Signing
