Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
Say of my soul, х lªnapshiy (H5315)] - better 'say TO my soul, There is no help for him in God.' Then Psalms 35:3 forms a beautiful contrast. For the Hebrew word for "help" and "salvation" is one [in both places yªshuw`aataah (H3444)]. Whence come the names Jehoshua, or Joshua, and Jeshua х Yeeshuwa` (H3442); (Greek, Ieesous (G2424), Jesus, for Joshua), Nehemiah 8:17; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8]. Many say to my soul, "There is no salvation for him in God:" but, do thou "say to my soul, I am thy salvation." Some of his foes thought that God takes no cognizance of earthly affairs (Psalms 10:11; Psalms 42:3; Psalms 42:10); others, that God had forsaken him, as subsequently his Antitype (Psalms 71:11; Psalms 22:7-8; Matthew 27:43). Of the latter was Shimei, 2 Samuel 16:8: this stung David in the sorest point-namely, big trust in God. 'The denial that God is our God finds an ally in the believer's own consciousness of guilt, amid all his convictions of innocence in regard to particular charges. It requires no small faith to gain here the victory' (Hengstenberg). Against the taunt of his foes, "There is no salvation for him in God" ( 'Elohiym (H430)), David (Psalms 3:8) asserts, "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord" (Psalms 3:2) ( Yahweh (H3068)). They use the general name 'ELOHIYM (H430). He in reply (Psalms 3:8) uses the special name that implies God's unchangeable faithfulness to His promises YAHWEH (H3068) (Jehovah). So the taunt uttered against his Antitype, "He trusted in God: let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him" (Matthew 27:43).
Selah - found 73 times in the Psalms 3:1-8 times in Habakkuk: from Celaah (H5542), rest. A music mark, noting a pause during which the singers ceased to sing, and only the instruments were heard. Septuagint, diapsalma, a break in the psalm. It is introduced where the sense requires a rest. It is a call to calm reflection on the preceding words of the psalm; whence, in Psalms 9:16, it follows "Higgaion;" i:e., meditation. The Selah reminds us that the psalm requires a peaceful and meditative soul, which can apprehend what the Holy Spirit reminds us that the psalm requires a peaceful and meditative soul, which can apprehend what the Holy Spirit propounds.