Chant in Hebrew | English transliteration | Meaning | Benefits
Of Hebrew origins, Amen is a declaration of affirmation in the power of God to grant a wish. It is commonly uttered at the end of a hymn or prayer.
In Hebrew
אָמֵן
English transliteration
Amen
Meaning of the prayer
In Hebrew: to be reliable and to be trusted
In English: verily or truly
History of the prayer
Amen originated from the Hebrew word ‘āmēn’. It is an example of a word that has survived thousands of years and has been translated into different languages without any significant changes to its meaning. The word typically means ‘so be it’ or ‘let it be’ this declared that something is truthful. In Deuteronomy, it is used as a confirmation made by people. In the Book of Chronicles, it is said that around 1000BC, the word was used in a religious sense when people said it after hearing a blessing. The word was also used in Greek and was imported from Judaism. From Greek, the word was then used in western languages. The dictionary says that amen passed on from Greek to Latin and then English. People in medieval France believe that the Hebrew word for faith, emuna comes from the root word amen. In Arabic, the word is derived from Amana, which has the same meaning as the Hebrew word. Some theosophists believe that amen is derived from the name of the Egyptian God – Amun. Some eastern religions also believe that Amen has its roots in the Sanskrit word Aum.
Important information about the prayer
In the Holy Scripture, amen is used as an adverb and it basically indicates that the speaker confirms or agrees with what the other person has said. Some liturgical use of this word also developed before Jesus Christ was born. The use of amen in the New and Old Testament is not a response to another person, it is simply an affirmation of one’s own thoughts and opinions. The third use of the word is done to simply close a chapter or a prayer. Here, it simply just means- finished. The book of Tobias ends with the word amen.
