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Amen is actually a Hebrew word. What does it mean and how is it used in Jewish daily life?
“Amen” is a Hebrew word that first appears in the Torah, in the book of Numbers (5:22), “And the woman shall respond, ‘Amen. Amen,’” and, in context, is said in response to a declaration made by someone else—in this case, a priest—as a way to indicate that she agrees with what was said, as well as its implications.
The word “amen” is used, both in a liturgical context, as well as colloquially, as a way of saying, “What you just said is true,” or “I concur.”
Despite the word’s Hebrew—and obviously Jewish—origins, both Christianity and Islam have appropriated the word and use the untranslated Hebrew term in their religious texts and liturgy. The Hebrew word has also made its way into popular culture.
In contemporary Jewish usage, Amen is said after almost every blessing and prayer, and is an integral part of responding to “Kaddish,” the plea for God's purpose for creation to be revealed to humanity, which is said as a part of the daily prayer service, and also by mourners while grieving the loss of a loved one.
Amen (אמן) shares a linguistic root with the word, emunah (אמונה), which, although it’s often translated as “faith,” more accurately means “belief.” In Jewish thought, a belief is a conviction based on evidence, similar to how a decision is made in a court of law. When you say “Amen,” you’re affirming, based on the evidence you thought about and investigated, that you agree that whatever was said is true.
According to the Talmud,1 amen is also an acronym for El Melech Ne'eman, which means “God, the Trustworthy King.” Specifically, that means God, the all-powerful, omnipotent source of reality, who is also the source of mercy and kindness; King, who supervises and runs the world; and Trustworthy, who is fair, and who doesn’t give you any more or any less than you can handle.
In that context, saying amen is also a way of declaring your belief, or alignment, with the core tenets of Jewish thought: God exists, He created the world for your benefit and pleasure, the greatest pleasure is a relationship with Him, and that He gave you the freedom, or independence, to create that relationship yourself, which is the greatest pleasure life has to offer.
Amen is a Hebrew word that appears in the Torah, including Numbers 5:22 (as noted above), and Deuteronomy 27:15-26, where it’s included as the response to a list of blessings and curses the Jewish people were commanded to proclaim upon entering the land of Israel.
It appears throughout the rest of the books of the bible as well. It’s used in some of the bible’s narrative sections, like Kings I, 1:36, “Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, spoke up and said to the king, “Amen! And may God of my lord, the king, so ordain!” And Nehemiah 8:6, “Ezra blessed God, and the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with their hands upraised.” It also appears numerous times in the book of Psalms, many of which have been incorporated into the daily prayer service, like Psalms 41:14, “Blessed is God, the God of Israel, forever and ever, Amen and Amen.”
According to the Talmud,2 Amen was already used as a response to various prayers and blessings during the Second Temple period (350 BCE - 70 CE), but it wasn’t used in the Temple itself (a more intense expression of praise was said instead). When making that clarification, the Talmud assumes that at that time Amen’s usage in daily prayer was already commonplace, and that it went back generations.
Amen’s biblical meaning is, as noted above, related to the Hebrew word, emunah, which means belief. As it’s used in the Bible, Jewish prayer, and throughout Jewish law,3 Amen has three connotations:
Amen is a commitment. Saying it is a declaration that your beliefs are in alignment with the mission of the Jewish people—to be a “light for the nations,”4 which means to be an example, or to live the values the world looks to for spiritual and moral guidance—which explains why the Talmud attaches such significance to responding Amen:
Anyone who answers “Amen” with all his strength [meaning: with a correct and clear understanding] has the gates to the Garden of Eden opened before him. Like it says in Isaiah 26:2, “Open the gates, and a righteous nation will come that ‘keeps the faith.’” Do not read, “Keeps the faith (shomer emunim/שומר אמונים),” but rather [use this play on words], “Who say ‘Amen’ (sh’omrim amen/שאומרים אמן).”5
Amen is said after almost every blessing and prayer, and it is an integral part of saying and responding to “Kaddish,” the plea for God's purpose for creation to become revealed and obvious to everyone.
A possible reason for why amen is transliterated, and not translated, is similar to how English brand names for popular products get used in other languages. As one linguist puts it, “[marketers] wish to exploit many speakers’ belief that the sound of proper names is intrinsic to their meaning,” which, according to him, may also be the case with “Amen.”
“This is the same type of iconicity which might explain why so many languages refrain from translating Hallelujah and Amen, as if the sounds of such basic religious notions are related to their referents so that by losing the sound, one might lose the meaning.”6
Amen (אמן) is a Hebrew word that shares a linguistic root with the word, emunah (אמונה), which means “belief.” Saying, or responding, “Amen” is an assertion that you agree with the statement, blessing, or declaration that you just heard. Amen is also an acronym for El Melech Ne'eman, which means “God, the Trustworthy King,” and saying it is a way of declaring your belief, or alignment, with the core tenets of Jewish thought. Amen is used throughout the Hebrew Bible, and has since been appropriated by Christianity and Islam as well. In contemporary Jewish usage, it is said after almost every blessing and prayer, and is an integral part of saying and responding to “Kaddish,” the plea for God's purpose for creation to be revealed.
Thank you for clarifying why I end my prayers with אמן - Amen
When young girl, it was prayer “Allemaigne.”
Thanks for this!
Thank you!
When you answer Amen to a blessing and or prayer it is a powerful thing, some Hebrew words are even used by non Jewish people and it stems from Jewish religious sources
Nice!