Amen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the interjection. For other uses, see Amen (disambiguation).

The word Amen (Hebrew: אָמֵן, Standard Amen Tiberian ’Amen ; Arabic: آمين‎, ’Āmīn ; "So be it; truly"[1]) is a declaration of affirmation[2][3] found in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. [1] Its use in Judaism dates back to its earliest texts.[4] It has been generally adopted in Christian worship as a concluding formula for prayers and hymns.[3] In Islam, it is the standard ending to Dua (supplication). Common English translations of the word amen include: "Verily", "Truly", "So be it", and "Let it be".[1] It can also be used colloquially to express strong agreement[3], as in, for instance, amen to that.[5]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

 The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

Amen, meaning so be it, is of Hebrew origin.[6][7] The word was imported into the Greek of the early Church from the Jewish synagogue.[2][8] From Greek, amen entered the other Western languages. According to a standard dictionary etymology, amen passed from Greek into Late Latin, and thence into English.[9]

The Hebrew word ’amen derives from the Hebrew verb ’aman, a primitive root.[10] Grammarians frequently list ’aman under its three consonants (’mn), which are identical to those of ’amen .[9] This triliteral root (’mn) means to be firm, confirmed, reliable, faithful, have faith, believe. Two English words that derive from this root are:

a. amen, from Hebrew ’amen (=truly, certainly); b. Mammon, from Aramaic mamona, probably from Mishnaic Hebrew mamôn, probably from earlier *ma’mon (=? “security, deposit”).

Both a and b derive from Hebrew ’aman (=to be firm).[11]

Popular among some theosophists and adherents of esoteric Christianity is the conjecture that amen is a derivative of the name of the Egyptian god named Amun (which is sometimes also spelled Amen).[12][13][14] Academic credence for this view can be found within the book "The Pagan Christ" written by Tom Harpur, an Anglican Priest and Theologian. Harpur cities evidence which shows Christianity may have originated from Egyptian mythology. [15]

[edit] Biblical usages

Three distinct Biblical usages of amen may be noted.[2]:

  1. Initial Amen, referring back to words of another speaker and introducing an affirmative sentence, e.g. 1 Kings 1:36; Revelation 22:20.[2]
  2. Detached Amen, again referring to the words of another speaker but without a complementary affirmative sentence, e.g. Nehemiah 5:13; Revelation 5:14 (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:16).[2]
  3. Final Amen, with no change of speaker, as in the subscription to the first three divisions of the Psalter and in the frequent doxologies of the New Testament Epistles.[2]

[edit] Amen in Judaism

Jewish law and practice require an individual to say Amen in a variety of contexts.[16]

Liturgically, amen is a communal response to be recited at certain points during the prayer service. It is recited communally to affirm a blessing made by the prayer reader. It is also mandated as a response during the kaddish doxology. The congregation is sometimes prompted to answer 'amen' by the terms ve-'imru (Hebrew: ואמרו) = "and [now] say (pl.)," or, ve-nomar (ונאמר) = "and let us say."

Contemporary usage reflects ancient practice: As early as the 4th century BCE, Jews assembled in the Temple responded 'amen' at the close of a doxology or other prayer uttered by a priest. This Jewish liturgical use of amen was adopted by the Christians.[17]

But Jewish law also requires individuals to answer amen whenever they hear a blessing recited, even in a non-liturgical setting. Amen is also used whenever an individual wishes to fulfill his own obligation through another person’s recitation of a prayer or blessing.

The Talmud teaches homiletically that the word Amen can be read as an acronym for אל מלך נאמן (’El melekh ne’eman), meaning "God, trustworthy King."[18] The word amen itself is etymologically related to the Hebrew word emuna ("faith") implying that one is affirming with, and of, "the faith" of Judaism (and its belief in Monotheism)[citation needed].

Jews usually pronounce the word as it is pronounced in Hebrew: "aw-MÉN" (Ashkenazi) or "ah-MÉN" (Sephardi).[19] These are transcribed in IPA as [ɔ'mɛɪn] and [a'mɛn] respectively.

[edit] Amen in Christianity

The uses of amen ("verily") in the Gospels form a peculiar class; they are initial, but often lack any backward reference.[20] Jesus used the word to affirm his own utterances[citation needed], not those of another person[citation needed], and this usage was adopted by the church. The use of the initial amen, single or double in form, to introduce solemn statements of Jesus in the Gospels had no parallel in Jewish practice. [21] The liturgical use of the word in apostolic times is attested by the passage from 1 Corinthians cited above, and Justin Martyr (c. 150) describes the congregation as responding "amen," to the benediction after the celebration of the Eucharist.[2] Its introduction into the baptismal formula (in the Greek Orthodox Church it is pronounced after the name of each person of the Trinity) is probably later. Among certain Gnostic sects Amen became the name of an angel.

In Isaiah 65:16, the authorized version has "the God of truth," ("the God of Amen," in Hebrew. Jesus often used Amen to put emphasis to his own words (translated: "verily"). In John's Gospel, it is repeated, "Verily, verily." Amen is also used in oath (Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15-26; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; 1 Chronicles 16:36). "Amen" is further found at the end of the prayer of primitive churches (1 Corinthians 14:16).[22]

In the King James Bible, the word amen is preserved in a number of contexts. Notable ones include:

  • The catechism of curses of the Law found in Deuteronomy 27.[2]
  • A double amen ("amen and amen") occurs in Psalm 89 (Psalm 41:13; 72:19; 89:52), to confirm the words and invoke the fulfillment of them.[23]
  • The custom of closing prayers with amen originates in the Lord's Prayer at Matthew 6:13
  • Amen occurs in several doxology formulas in Romans 1:25, 9:5, 11:36, 15:33, and several times in Chapter 16.[2] It also appears in doxologies in the Pss (41:14; 72:19; 89:53; 106:48). This liturgical form from Judaism.[24]
  • It concludes all of Paul's general epistles.
  • In Revelation 3:14, Jesus is referred to as, "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation."
  • Amen concludes the New Testament at Rev. 22:21.

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.

In English, the word "amen" has two primary pronunciations, ah-men (IPA: [aʹmɛn]) or ay-men (IPA: [eɪ͡ʹmɛn)], with minor additional variation in emphasis (the two syllables may be equally stressed instead of placing primary stress on the second). The ah-men pronunciation is usual in British English, the one that is used in performances of classical music, in churches with more formalized rituals and liturgy and liberal Evangelical Protestant denominations. The ay-men pronunciation, a product of the Great Vowel Shift dating to the 15th century, is associated with Irish Protestantism and conservative Evangelical Protestant denominations generally, and the pronunciation that is typically sung in gospel music. Increasingly Anglophone Roman Catholics are adopting the "ay-men" pronunciation for speech, although the broad "ah" is usually retained for singing.

Amen is also used in standard, international French; however, in the Cajun French dialect, Ansi soit-il (literally, so be it), or the Québec French dialect, Ainsi soit-il, is used instead.

[edit] Amen in Islam

Muslims use the word "’Āmīn" (Arabic: آمين‎) not only after reciting the first surah (Al Fatiha) of the Qur'an, but also when concluding a prayer or duaa, with the same meaning as in Christianity[25]. However not all Muslims share in this verbal tradition. The word "Amen" is not found anywhere in the Quran. Amin (al-Amin) is a nickname for Mohammed. The Islamic use of the word is the same as the Jewish use of the word.


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Etymology of the word “Amen”. D.Messaoudi. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Amen. Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  3. ^ a b c Amen. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
  4. ^ Deuteronomy 27.15-26, for example. There are many more occurences in the Hebrew Bible.
  5. ^ Microsoft Encarta Dictionary Tools. Retrieved 20 August 2007
  6. ^ Paul Joüon, SJ, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, trans. and revised by T. Muraoka, vol. I, Rome: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico, 2000.
  7. ^ G281. Strong's Concordance. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  8. ^ Amen. Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
  9. ^ a b Amen. American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  10. ^ King James Bible Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  11. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition.. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  12. ^ COLLATION OF THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARIES - Amen. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  13. ^ Assembly of Yahweh, Cascade (an Assembly of True Israel, of the Diaspora) - Words and Definitions critical to the correct understanding of the Scriptures and Christianity. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  14. ^ Amen. The Assembly of IaHUShUA MaShIaChaH (2005-12-15). Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  15. ^ The Pagan Christ.. Thomas Allen Publishers. Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
  16. ^ Orach Chaim 56 (amen in kaddish); O.C. 124 (amen in response to blessings recited by the prayer reader); O.C. 215 (amen in response to blessings made by any individual outside of the liturgy).
  17. ^ "Amen". Encyclopædia Britannica.. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica Online.. Retrieved on 2008-03-17. 
  18. ^ Shab. 119b; Sanh. 111a
  19. ^ To Pray as a Jew: A Guide to the Prayer Book and the Synagogue Service, Hayim Halevy Donin
  20. ^ Amen. Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  21. ^ "Amen". Encyclopædia Britannica.. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica Online.. Retrieved on 2008-03-17. 
  22. ^ eastonsbibledictionary.com, Amen
  23. ^ eastonsbibledictionary.com, Amen
  24. ^ cf. John L. McKezie, SJ, "Dictionary of the Bible", New York: MacMillan Publ. Co., Inc., 1965. Entry: "Amen," p. 25)
  25. ^ Hastings, James (2004). A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels: Volume I. The Minerva Group, Inc., 52. 

[edit] External links

Look up Amen in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.