Amens › What does amen mean, and where does it come from?
What does amen mean, and where does it come from?
Amen looks simple, but it has a long history. Here is where the word began and how it reached English.
The short answer
Amen is a Hebrew word meaning roughly "so be it" or "truly". It is used to agree with a prayer, a blessing or a statement. It does not describe a thing; it is a response, the equivalent of saying "yes, I agree" or "I affirm this".
The Hebrew root
The word is written ʾāmēn in Hebrew. It is built on a Semitic root of three consonants, aleph, mem and nun (א-מ-נ). Words from this root carry ideas of being firm, reliable, faithful and trustworthy, and also of believing. That fits the way amen works in speech: when you say it, you are calling something firm and dependable. English words like "faithful" and "reliable" give a flavour of this, but no single English word captures it fully, which is one reason the word has been borrowed rather than translated.
From Hebrew to Greek, Latin and English
The word travelled with scripture and worship. It passed from Hebrew into Greek, where the New Testament writes it as ἀμήν, then into Late Latin as amen, and from Latin into English. Along the way it was not translated, but kept as a single sacred sound, which is why speakers of many languages say nearly the same word.
An Arabic connection
Arabic also uses the word, as āmīn. It entered Arabic religious vocabulary, and speakers link it to the Arabic root أ-م-ن, which has similar meanings of safety, faith and trust. Arabic dictionaries define it as an imperative verbal noun meaning something like "answer" or "reply", as in "answer our prayer". The word is therefore close in sound and meaning across Hebrew and Arabic, although the two languages understand its grammar a little differently.
First appearances
In the Hebrew Bible, amen first appears in the Book of Numbers (5:22) and occurs about 30 times in all, often as a response to a blessing. The double form "Amen, Amen" occurs five times. In the New Testament, the Greek form is used in several ways: as part of worship, as a statement of faith, and as an opening to teaching. Jesus is recorded using it to begin statements, where it is usually translated "truly" or "verily", as in "truly I say to you".
Two ways to use the word
| Use | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Response | Said after a prayer or blessing to agree with it | "...for ever and ever. Amen." |
| Introduction | Said before a statement to stress that it is true | "Amen, I say to you..." |
The first is by far the most familiar to English speakers. The second is mostly met in translations of the Gospels. Arabic uses amen only as a closing response, not as the opening "truly" sense.
What "so be it" captures
"So be it" is a good translation because it is both agreement and wish. Saying amen means you accept what has been said, and also that you hope it will be so. After a prayer for peace, it means "yes, may it be so". After a statement of belief, it means "I stand with that". The same word does both jobs, depending on what comes before.
A traditional reading
The Talmud, the central text of rabbinic Judaism, offers a traditional acronym reading of the word, taking it to stand for a Hebrew phrase meaning "God, trustworthy King". This is a teaching tool rather than the scholarly origin of the word, but it shows how much meaning communities have found in three letters.
Not translated, still understood
It is unusual for a word to cross so many languages with so little change. English speakers who never go to a place of worship still understand amen, and may use it in an everyday way, as described on our page about amen in everyday English. To see how it works in worship, read amen in three faiths.
For the musical side, jump to musical amens, or return to the home page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hebrew root of amen?
It is based on the three-letter Semitic root aleph-mem-nun, whose meanings include being firm, reliable, faithful and believing.
Where is amen first found in the Bible?
In the Hebrew Bible it first appears in Numbers 5:22 and occurs about 30 times.
Is amen the same in Arabic?
The Arabic āmīn is close in sound and use. It is said after supplications and after reciting Al-Fatiha, and is used only as a closing response.