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Amen is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer. Common English translations of the word amen include "verily", "truly", "it is true", and "let it be so". It is also used colloquially to express strong agreement.
The ay-men pronunciation is a product of the Great Vowel Shift (i.e., it dates from the 15th century); it is associated with Irish Protestantism and with conservative evangelical denominations generally. It is also the pronunciation typically used in gospel music.
From Hebrew, the word was later adopted into the Arabic language religious vocabulary and leveled to the Arabic root أ م ن, which is of similar meanings to the Hebrew. The interjection occurs in the Christian and Islamic lexicons, most commonly in prayer, as well as secularly, albeit less commonly, so as to signify complete affirmation or deference. In religious texts, it occurs in Arabic translations of the Bible and after reciting al-Fatiha of the Quran, which is formally akin to religious supplications.
Popular among some theosophists, proponents of Afrocentrism theories of history, and adherents of esoteric Christianity is the conjecture that amen is a derivative of the name of the Egyptian god Amun (which is sometimes also spelled Amen). Some adherents of Eastern religions believe that amen shares roots with the Hindu Sanskrit word Aum.Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yoga, 1946, chapter 26.Sri H.W.L Poonja, 'The Truth is', Published by Samuel Weiser, 2000, Such external etymologies are not included in standard etymological reference works. The Hebrew word, as noted above, starts with aleph, while the Egyptian name begins with a yodh.Erman, Adolf & Grapow, Hermann: Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache, Im Auftrage der Deutschen Akademien, Berlin: Akademie Verlag (1971), p. 85
In French, the Hebrew word amen is sometimes translated as Ainsi soit-il, which means "So be it."
The linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann argues that, as in the case of Hallelujah, the word amen is usually not replaced by a translation due to the speakers' belief in iconicity, their perception that there is something intrinsic about the relationship between the sound of the signifier (the word) and what it signifies (its meaning).Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2003), Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew. Palgrave Macmillan. [1]
In the King James Bible, the word amen is seen in a number of contexts. Notable ones include:
Jewish rabbinical halakha requires an individual to say amen in a variety of contexts.Orach Chaim 56 (amen in kaddish)Orach Chaim 124 (amen in response to brachah recited by the Hazzan)Orach Chaim 215 (amen in response to brachah made by any individual outside of the liturgy) With the rise of the synagogue during the Second Temple period, amen became a common response, especially to benedictions. It is recited communally to affirm a brachah made by the Hazzan. It is also mandated as a response during the kaddish doxology. The congregation is sometimes prompted to answer "amen" by the terms ve-'imru () = "and now say (pl.)," or, ve-nomar (ונאמר) = "and we will say." Contemporary usage reflects ancient practice: As early as the 4th century BCE, Jews assembled in the Second Temple responded "amen" at the close of a doxology or other prayer uttered by a kohen. This Jewish liturgical use of amen was adopted by the Christians. But halakha also requires individuals to answer amen whenever they hear a brachah recited, even in a non-liturgical setting.
The Talmud teaches Homiletics that the word amen is an acronym for אל מלך נאמן (, "God, trustworthy King"),Tractate Shabbat 119b and Tractate Sanhedrin 111a the phrase recited silently by an individual before reciting the Shma.
Jews usually use Hebrew pronunciations of the word: (Israeli and Sephardi) or (Ashkenazi Hebrew). To Pray as a Jew: A Guide to the Prayer Book and the Synagogue Service, Hayim Halevy Donin
In Isaiah 65:16, the authorized version has "the God of truth" ("the God of amen" in Hebrew language). Jesus often used amen to put emphasis to his own words (translated: "verily" or "truly"). In John's Gospel, it is repeated, "Verily, verily" (or "Truly, truly"). Amen is also used in oaths (Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15–26; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; 1 Chronicles 16:36).
Amen is also used in standard, international French, but in Cajun French Ainsi soit-il ("so be it") is used instead.
Amen is used at the end of the Lord's Prayer, which is also called the Our Father or the Pater Noster.
In some Christian churches, the "amen corner" or "amen section" is any subset of the congregation likely to call out "Amen!" in response to points in a preacher's sermon. Metaphorically, the term can refer to any group of heartfelt traditionalists or supporters of an authority figure. The term has also been used as a place name, and as a title for musical and literary works; see Amen Corner.
Arabic dictionaries define ʾāmīn as an imperative verbal noun, whose meaning is answer or reply (i.e., imploring God to grant one's prayer). The word was borrowed from Hebrew into Arabic in only this context, thus it is strictly used in Arabic as a final amen to conclude supplications or to declare affirmation, and has no initial amen usage with the meaning of truly or certainly as found in the word’s original Hebrew language grammar.
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