What is the original meaning of the word Amen? Does it come from the Egyptian god Amen?
I have studied the word Amen. What does it mean and what is the origin
of the word? I have read it in the Egypt website that Amen is the
ancient name of their god Please Check if it is true.
The word amen simply means, so be it or I agree. The etymology of
the word goes all the way back to ancient Hebrew. It comes from the
Hebrew word aman, which means to strengthen or confirm. The word passed
from the Hebrew, to the Greek, to the Latin, into Old English. It has
carried religious connotations for a very long time.
By coincidence, one of the gods of ancient Egyptian religion was
Amen-Ra, or Amen or Ra. During the time of Amenhotep, Amen-Ra was briefly
worshipped as the single god of Egypt. There is absolutely no connection
between the word amen and Egyptian religion. If anyone has tried to make
that connection and cast aspersions on the use of amen in Christian
worship, they are mistaken and ought to do better research before making
such a claim.
that the word in Hebrew for strengthen or confirm is Amatz, not Aman. He
would claim that the word in English did not come the Hebrew root Amatz,
but points out that in the Talmud, Rabbi Chanina (tractate Shabbat page
119 on the reverse side of the page halfway down) claims that the word
Amen is an acronym for three Hebrew words 1. Ay (one of the names of God)
2. Melech (king) and 3. Ne’eman (faithful). I cannot absolutely confirm
that his is the correct etymology of the word Amen, but I would assume
that a Jewish Rabbi certainly knows a lot more about the Hebrew than I,
and I would assume he is probably correct. I stand corrected. Thank you
Rabbi Freundlich. By the way Rabbi Freundlich definitely agrees that the
Egyptian god Amen has absolutely not connection in the etymology of the
English word Amen.]
John Oakes