ἀμήν

ἀμήν (LXX occas. for אָמֵן, usu. transl. by γένοιτο; taken over by Christians; in pap symbol. expressed by the number 99 [α=1 + μ=40 + η=8 + ν=50; ESchaefer, PIand I 29], but also as ἀμήν [POxy 1058, 5]. Ins: ISyriaW 1918; MvOppenheim-HLucas, ByzZ 14, 1905, p. 34ff, nos. 36, 39, 46, 84)

① strong affirmation of what is stated

ⓐ as expression of faith let it be so, truly, amen liturgical formula at the end of the liturgy, spoken by the congregation (cp. 1 Ch 16:36; 2 Esdr 15:13; 18:6; TestSol, TestAbr; TestJob 53:8; GrBar 17:4; ApcEsdr 7 end; ApcMos); hence τὸ ἀ. λέγειν 1 Cor 14:16, cp. Rv 5:14. At the end of a doxology (cp. 3 Macc 7:23; 4 Macc 18:24; Mel., P. 45, 323; 65, 466) Mt 6:13 v.l.; Ro 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 15:33; 16:24 v.l., 27; Gal 1:5; 6:18; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20, 23 v.l.; 1 Ti 1:17; 6:16; 2 Ti 4:18; Hb 13:21, 25 v.l.; 1 Pt 4:11; 5:11; Jd 25; Rv 1:6; 7:12; 1 Cl 20:12; 32:4; 38:4; 43:6; 45:8; 50:7; 58:2; 61:3; 65:2; 2 Cl 20:5; AcPl Ha 2, 34. W. ναί as transl.: ναί, ἁ., yes (so shall it be), amen Rv 1:7. Sim. γένοιτο, ἀμήν GJs 6:2, cp. ἀμήν 7:1 (pap, some mss. ἀ. γένοιτο as TestAbr A 2 p.79, 14 [Stone p. 6]; Just., A I, 65, 4, τὸ Ἀμὴν … Γένοιτο σημαίνει=‘Amen’ means ‘May it be so’).—Accord. to later custom (cp. Tob; 3 and 4 Macc; ApcSed 16:10 p. 137, 19 Ja.; Cyranides p. 124, 18 Ἀμήν• τέλος• ἀμήν• ἀμήν) ἀ. was almost always put at the end of books, but not in the older mss. (and hence v.l.) Mt 28:20; Mk 16:20; Lk 24:53; J 21:25; Ac 28:31; 1 Cor 16:24; 2 Cor 13:13; Hb 13:25; GJs 25:2 al. The liturg. formula is extended to ἀ. ἁλληλουϊά (q.v.) after the doxology Rv 19:4; to ἀ., ἔρχου κύριε Ἰησοῦ (cp. μαρὰν ἀθᾶ) 22:20 or μαρὰν ἀθᾶ ἀ. D 10:6.—At beginning and end of a doxology Rv 7:12.—τὸ ἀ. (w. τὸ ναί): διὸ καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀ. τῷ θεῷ πρὸς δόξαν therefore the ‘amen’ is spoken through him to God’s glory (w. ref. to the liturgical use of ‘amen’) 2 Cor 1:20; s. 1 Cor 14:16, above.—Hence

ⓑ asseverative particle, truly, always w. λέγω, beginning a solemn declaration but used only by Jesus (I assure you that, I solemnly tell you) Mt 5:18, 26; 6:2, 5, 16; 8:10 al. Mk 3:28; 8:12; 9:1 al. Lk 4:24; 12:37; vs. 44 v.l.; 18:17 al. (JO’Neill, JTS 10, ’59, 1–9). For this J always has ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω (OT אָמֵן אָמֵן [Num 5:22; 2 Esdr 18:6; Ps 41:14; 72:19], Gk. mostly γένοιτο, γένοιτο, but 2 Esdr 18:6 ἀμήν and in the corresp. passage 1 Esdr 9:47 likew., w. the v.l. ἀμ. ἀμ. [as in PGM 22b, 21; 25], only to strengthen a preceding statement) 1:51; 3:3, 5, 11; 5:19, 24f al. On the emphatic force of repetition s. Rdm.² 68, 1. Cp. Aristaen., Ep. 1, 24 εὐθὺς εὐ.; 2, 13 οἶδα οἶ.

② Christ as the ultimate affirmation, the Amen, ὁ ἀ., only in the enigmatic lang. of Rv, explained as ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς κ. ἀληθινός 3:14 (Ps 88:38); LGillet, ET 56, ’44/45, 134–36; LSilbermann, JBL 82, ’63, 213–15.—On the word gener. Dalman, Worte 185; Jesus 27f (Eng. tr. 30); PGlaue, Amen: ZKG, n.F. 7, 1925, 184–98; EPeterson, Εἷς θεός, 1926, index; DDaube JTS 45, ’44, 27–31; Goodsp., Probs., 96–98; FSchilling, ATR 38, ’56, 175–81; AStuiber, JAC 1, ’58, 153–59; JGreig, Studia Evangelica 5, ’68, 10–13; KBerger, Die Amen-Worte Jesu, ’70, ZNW 63, ’72, 45–75; STalmon, Textus 7, ’69, 124–29; JStrugnell, HTR 67, 177–82; PGlaue, RAC I 378–80.—M-M. TW.