A word behind the word
Amen
The word amen is spoken by Christians around the world, often as the close of a prayer. It is a Hebrew word carried straight into Greek, Latin, and English, and it comes from a root that means firmness, faithfulness, and reliability.
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”2 Corinthians 1:20
What the word actually means
What the word actually means. Amen comes from a Hebrew root conveying firmness, steadiness, and trustworthiness; related words mean to be faithful or reliable, and to believe or trust. As an expression, amen means truly, surely, or so be it, a way of affirming and agreeing with what has been said. In the Old Testament the people say Amen to seal an oath or affirm a blessing or curse, as in Deuteronomy 27, where all the people shall say, Amen after each pronouncement, and in Nehemiah 8:6, where the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands. It closes doxologies, as in Psalm 41:13, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. In the New Testament it seals prayers and praises, and 1 Corinthians 14:16 speaks of saying the Amen at the giving of thanks. Notably, Jesus often begins sayings with it, Verily, verily, I say unto you, where verily translates amen, using it not to end but to open, to underline the certain truth of his words.
The myth to clear up
The myth to clear up. A minor but persistent claim tries to trace amen to the name of an Egyptian deity, Amun or Amen-Ra, suggesting Christians unknowingly invoke a pagan god at the end of their prayers. This has no basis. Amen is a well-attested Hebrew word from a Hebrew root about firmness and faithfulness, used throughout the Old Testament long in its own linguistic family, and the resemblance to an unrelated Egyptian name is mere coincidence of sound. It is a textbook example of a false etymology built on how a word sounds rather than where it actually comes from. The sober correction: amen is Hebrew, meaning truly or so be it, rooted in the ideas of trust and faithfulness. When you say amen you are affirming, let it be so, and adding your agreement to what has been prayed or declared, not invoking any foreign deity.
How the word opens onto Christ
How the word opens onto Christ. The most striking use of amen turns it into a name for Jesus himself. In Revelation 3:14 the risen Christ introduces himself, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness. He is the Amen, the one in whom all God's firmness and faithfulness are embodied. This connects to 2 Corinthians 1:20, where Paul says that all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Every promise God has made finds its yes and its so be it in Christ; he is the guarantee that God's word is firm and will surely come to pass. That is also why Jesus could preface his teaching with amen, verily, verily: his own word carried the certainty of God. So when believers close a prayer with amen, they echo the character of the Lord who is himself the Amen, the faithful witness in whom every promise stands sure.
Questions people ask
Does amen come from the Egyptian god Amun?
No. Amen is a Hebrew word from a root meaning firmness and faithfulness, meaning truly or so be it. The similarity to the unrelated Egyptian name is only a coincidence of sound, a false etymology.
Why did Jesus say verily, verily?
Verily translates amen. Jesus used it to open his sayings rather than close them, underlining the certain truth of his words. Revelation 3:14 even calls him the Amen, the faithful and true witness.