Yahweh Shalom brothers and sisters and a blessed Shabbat to all. I must confess that last week I “jumped the gun” so to speak with the commentary on VaY’Chi. That commentary was a week early and is supposed to be read this week. My apologies for the confusion. Next week we will open a new book in the Torah, Shemot (Exodus), starting with the Parsha named after the book, Parsha Shemot (Names).

I would like to take advantage of being a week “ahead” by hopefully clearing up some confusion regarding the use of the word “Amen.”

Some well intentioned, no doubt well meaning people hold to the belief that it is unscriptural to use the word “Amen,” claiming that the word is related to the Egyptian deity Amen-Ra. No doubt they are misled by uninformed teachers who cite Shemot 23:13 as a basis for their case:

13. “And in all that I have said to you take heed. And make no mention of the name of other mighty ones, let it not be heard out of your mouth.”

Those who oppose the use of the word “Amen” contend that since it is a homonym that sounds like “Amen-Ra,’ we are violating the Mitzvah of Shemot 23:13 by using a similar sounding word.

First, we must understand that Hebrew is a pure language, and while it is important for Yahweh’s people to be set apart in their language as well as their actions, we must strive to speak with pure and undefiled lips. However, we must also worship in spirit and truth and not be misled by misinformation disseminated by uninformed people who have “…a zeal but not according to knowledge.” So now we must answer the question, is “Amen” a word of pagan origin and is it wrong to use this word in worship or common parlance?

As we said, Hebrew is a pure language, meaning that, unlike related languages such as the several Arabic dialects, and certainly unlike our own English language, it has no “swear” words, or words that considered to be “obscene.”

The first recorded use of the word is found in Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:22

22b. …And the woman shall say, “Amen, amen.”

The word Amen is number 543 “amen” in Strong’s Hebrew, and is spelled with the letters Aleph, Mem, Nun (Nun sofeet or final nun). It is defined as “sure,’ “faithfulness,” or “truly.” It stems from Strong’s 539 “aman” meaning to “build up,” or “support.” to “foster,” and to “trust and believe,” also “to establish.”

In Debarim (Deuteronomy) 27:15 through 26 we have the word used 12 times, as part of Yisrael stood on Mount Eybal to declare their affirmation to the curses.

In the remainder of the TaNaKh Amen appears 12 additional times in the following scriptures: Melakim Aleph (1 Kings) 1:36; 1 Dibre HaYamim (1 Chronicles) 16:36; NehemYah 5:13 and 8:6 (twice in this latter verse) Tehillim (Psalms) 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; (twice in each verse) and 106:48. It’s final appearance in the TaNaKh is found in YermiYahu (Jeremiah) 28:6. Amen appears a total of 26 times in the TaNaKh.

The root Hebrew letters Aleph, Mem, and Nun are also found in numerous places in the TaNaKh but vowel pointed differently to indicate a slight variation in both pronunciation and meaning. One of several examples is found in Debarim 32:20 with the word “emun” meaning “faithfulness, stemming from “Emunah” meaning “truth.”

A diligent search of Strong’s (or any other good concordance) will show that Amen is used more than 50 times in the Brit Chadasha (‘New’ Testament). However, the most telling verse may be found in Revelation 3:14 where Yahshua our Messiah is referred to as “The Amen.”

14. “And to the messenger of the assembly in Laodikeia write, ‘The Amen, the Trustworthy and True witness, the Beginning of the creation of Elohim…”

So from its first use in Bemidbar 5:22 to its final use in Revelation 22:21 Amen appears in scripture more than 75 times, and related words using the same three Hebrew root letters, but vowel pointed differently, appear dozens, if not more than a hundred times.

As a note of interest, many of our own English language words have Hebrew origins and at least one word stems from Amen, the word amenable -- Amen(able), meaning “answerable,” “willing to believe” or “assent to” or “verify.”

Previously we made reference to Romans 10:2, concerning those who have a misplaced zeal: For I bear them witness that they have an ardor (KJV, zeal) for Elohim, but not according to knowledge.

It has been said that “Truth is often never what it seems.” To such “zealous” but misguided people as those who forbid the use of the word amen the truth is never what it seems because for such, the truth is never clear. The problem is that people tend to be more believers than thinkers -- and researchers. Many seem to accept whatever their teachers or congregational leaders tell them at face value without confirming such teachings from Scripture for themselves.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 we are exhorted to: Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good.

Those who teach that the word Amen is somehow pagan, or contrary to the practice of sound speech, are speaking without knowledge of what is good. They holdfast to error and myth rather than truth. Such “teachers” must be regarded with great suspicion to say the least.

Several times in scripture the word Amen is followed by the word “HalleluYah,” meaning “Praise Yahweh.” One such example is found in Tehillim 106:48. From the Scriptural material presented I believe we can conclude that “Amen” is a fitting affirmation with which to conclude our prayers to Almighty Yahweh, and when coupled with “HalleluYah,” it is an affirmation of our belief in our great Sovereign and Elohim. We can all say “Amen” to that.

Comments or questions about this article may be addressed to Rabbi Mitchell at: yoel@arm-tek.net