Amen

The word Amen (Hebrew: אָמֵן; English: Amen) originates from Hebrew, meaning “firm,” “truly,” or “surely.” It functions as an exclamation expressing agreement or affirmation, often translated as “so be it” or “let it be so.” It was used to confirm the truth of a statement or to show assent to a prayer. Jesus used Amen at the beginning of His sayings to emphasize the truth and authority of His words, rendered in English translations as “truly” or “verily.”

In contemporary worship, Amen continues to signify agreement, affirmation, or the desire for fulfillment. When spoken at the conclusion of a prayer, it expresses concurrence with the prayer’s content. When said after a hymn, it reflects heartfelt agreement with the praise offered to God.

Etymology of Amen

Amen (אָמֵן) is derived from the Hebrew root word aman (אָמַן), which means “to believe, trust, or rely on.” When translated into Greek, the sound was preserved as ἀμήν (amēn), and most Bible versions also use the transliteration rather than a translation.

Biblical Usage of Amen

Old Testament

1. To Express Agreement With Another’s Words or Commands

• The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: “Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman’s hands—and sets it up in secret.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” (Deuteronomy 27: 14–26)
• Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. He said, “Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. (Jeremiah 28:5–6)

2. To Affirm an Oath or Pledge

• The king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble . . . Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. (1 King 1:29–36)
• Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised . . .  At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. (Nehemiah 5:12–13)

3. To Conclude Prayers or Psalms

• Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6)
• Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. (Psalm 41:13)

New Testament

1. To Show Agreement

• “ ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ ” (KJV, Matthew 6:13)
• If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? (1 Corinthians 14:16)
• For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)
• For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
• He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

2. As ‘Truly’ or ‘Verily’

• “I tell you the truth (Amen, ἀμὴν), until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18)
• Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth (Amen, ἀμὴν), unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)

See also

• Worship