Lexical Summary aman: To confirm, support, believe, trust, be faithful Original Word: אָמַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, steadfast, A primitive root; properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain; once (Isa. 30:21; interchangeable with 'aman) to go to the right hand -- hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, + fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right. see HEBREW 'aman NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to confirm, support NASB Translation believe (26), believed (11), believes (2), bringing (1), carried (1), chronic (1), confirmed (5), doorposts (1), endure (1), enduring (3), established (3), faithful (21), firm (2), fulfilled (1), guardians (3), has assurance (1), have faith (1), have...assurance (1), last (1), lasting (1), nurse (3), put your trust (2), puts...trust (2), reared (1), reliable (1), stand still (1), sure (4), trust (4), trusted (1), trustworthy* (1), unreliable* (1), verified (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [אָמַן] verb confirm, support (compare Arabic  , etc., see below; Sabean אמן in derivatives & proper names compare CISiv.1,10 DHMZMG 1885,598; Aramaic אֲמַן,  in Haph`el, Ethiopic  , Assyrian in derivatives) — only Qal Participle אֹמֵן — 1 as verb support, nourish 2 Kings 10:1,5; Esther 2:7, 2 as substantive foster-father Numbers 11:12 (J) Isaiah 49:23. 3 אֹמֶנֶת foster-mother, nurse Ruth 4:16; 2 Samuel 4:4. 4 אֹמְנוֺת pillars, supporters of the door 2 Kings 18:16. Participle passive a. הָאֱמֻנִים those brought up (in scarlet) Lamentations 4:5. b. אֱמוּנִים intransitive faithful (as firm, stable) as substantive masculine faithful ones Psalm 12:2 (> ᵐ5 ᵑ6 and others faithfulness) 2 Samuel 20:19 (compare Arabic 2 made firm, sure, lasting: place Isaiah 22:23,25; name 1 Chronicles 17:24; waters Isaiah 33:16; Jeremiah 15:18; an event Hosea 5:9; sickness Deuteronomy 2:8:59; mercy Isaiah 55:3. 3 confirmed, established, sure: kingdom 2 Samuel 7:16; house, dynasty 1 Samuel 2:35; 1 Samuel 25:28; 1 Kings 11:38; 1 Chronicles 17:23; prophet Samuel 1 Samuel 3:20; compare word-play אִם לֹא תַאֲמִינוּ לֹא תֵאָמֵנוּ = if ye believe not (have not firm confidence) ye will not be confirmed Isaiah 7:9; וְתֵאָמֵנוּ ׳הַאֲמִינוּ בי = believe in Yahweh and ye will be confirmed2Chronicles 20:20. 4. verified, confirmed: words of God 1 Kings 8:26; 2Chronicles 1:9; 6:17; his precepts Psalm 111:7; testimonies Psalm 19:8; Psalm 93:5; covenant Psalm 89:29; words of men Genesis 42:20 (E). 5. reliable, faithful, trusty: persons 1 Samuel 2:35; 1 Samuel 22:14; Job 12:20; Psalm 89:38; Psalm 101:6; Proverbs 25:13; Isaiah 8:2; Nehemiah 13:13; a city Isaiah 1:21; האל הנאמן the faithful God Deuteronomy 7:9 compare Isaiah 49:7; נֶאֱמַן רוּחַ faithful in spirit (disposition) Proverbs 11:13; לְבָבוֺ נֶאֱמָן his heart faith-ful Nehemiah 9:8; עֵד אֱמֶת וְנֶאֱמָן true and faithful witness Jeremiah 42:5; נאמנים פצעי אוהב faithful the wounds of a loving one Proverbs 27:6; with נֵת Psalm 78:8; עִם Hosea 12:1; בְּ of thing Psalm 78:37; בְּכָלבֵּֿיתִי in all my house (of Moses) Numbers 12:7 (E). Hiph`il הֶאֱמִין Genesis 45:26 + (18 t.); Imperfect יַאֲמִין, יַאֲמֵן Job 15:31 + (30 t.); Imperative הַאֲמִינוּ2Chronicles 20:20 + (2 t.); Participle מַאֲמִין Deuteronomy 1:32; Josh 25:16. 4 stand firm Job 39:24 (with negative of the horse when the trumpet sounds Di De MV RVm; but neither believeth RV, hardly trusts Da). 2. trust, believe: (a) absolute Exodus 4:31 (J) Isaiah 7:9; Isaiah 28:16; Habakkuk 1:5; Psalm 116:10; Job 29:24; (b) with ל of person, trust to, believe Genesis 45:26 (E) Exodus 4:1,8 (J) Jeremiah 40:14; 2Chronicles 32:15; with God Deuteronomy 9:23; Isaiah 43:10; ל of thing Exodus 4:8,9 (J) Psalm 106:24; 1 Kings 10:7; 2Chronicles 9:6; Isaiah 53:1; Proverbs 14:15; (c) with ב of person, trust in, believe in Exodus 19:9 (J) 1 Samuel 27:12; 2Chronicles 20:20; Job 4:18; Job 15:15; Proverbs 26:25; Jeremiah 12:6; Micah 7:5; the usual construction with God Genesis 15:6 (E) Exodus 14:31; Numbers 14:11 (J) Numbers 20:12 (P) Deuteronomy 1:32; 2 Kings 17:14; 2Chronicles 20:20; Psalm 78:22; Jonah 3:5; with ב of thing Deuteronomy 28:66; Job 15:31; Job 24:22; Job 39:12; Psalm 78:32; Psalm 106:12; Psalm 119:66; (d) with כִּי trust or believe that Exodus 4:5 (J) Job 9:16; Lamentations 4:12; (e) so with infin. Job 15:22; Psalm 27:13; also trust to do a thing, almost = allow, Judges 11:20. [אֲמַן] verb Haph`el trust (Biblical Hebrew); — Perfect3masculine singular חֵימִן בֵּאלָחֵהּ Daniel 6:24; Passive participle מְחֵימַן trusty, trustworthy, of person Daniel 6:5, interpretation Daniel 2:45. Topical Lexicon Semantic Field and Core IdeaThe root אָמַן revolves around firmness, reliability, and support. Whether describing a pillar that cannot collapse, a word that cannot fail, or a relationship that cannot be broken, the term conveys an unshakable stability that invites confidence. Its derivatives—ʼāmen (“Amen”), ʼĕmûnāh (“faith, faithfulness”), ʼĕmet (“truth”)—all share this same sense of dependable certainty. Covenant Reliability of God From the first appearance of the root in Genesis 15:6, “Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” ʼāman draws attention to God’s covenant faithfulness. Divine promises are not wishful hopes; they are guaranteed realities that call forth trust. Deuteronomy 7:9 affirms, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations.” The binding nature of ʼāman underscores the inviolability of every covenant word Yahweh speaks to Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and, by prophetic extension, to the New Covenant community (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Human Response: Believing, Trusting, Standing Firm Because God is ʼāman, His people are summoned to ʼāman. Isaiah 7:9 warns, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” The same verb describes Israel’s intended reaction to Sinai: “so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you” (Exodus 19:9). Habakkuk 2:4 sets the principle that undergirds both Testaments: “the righteous will live by his faith.” Here, living is tethered to steadfast reliance on God’s reliability. The Apostle Paul later cites this verse (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11) to show that justification has always rested on faith rather than works. Nurture and Support Imagery The verb also depicts the action of sustaining another, as a nurse or foster-father carries an infant. Moses cries, “Did I conceive all these people? … that You should tell me, ‘Carry them in your arms as a nurse carries an infant’ ” (Numbers 11:12). Mephibosheth “was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled” (2 Samuel 4:4). This metaphor enriches pastoral ministry: leaders are called not merely to instruct but to undergird believers until they can stand firm on their own (compare 1 Thessalonians 2:7, where Paul draws on the same picture). Prophetic Verification and Historical Acts ʼĀman frequently certifies a prophetic word. At the dedication of the Temple Solomon prays, “Now therefore, LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant my father David the promises You have made to him, and by Your mouth You have spoken; and may You fulfill it” (1 Kings 8:26). The establishment of David’s throne (2 Samuel 7:16) and the permanence of the Levitical covenant (Jeremiah 33:20-22) rest on the unbreakable reliability that ʼāman expresses. Psalm 89 repeatedly pairs “steadfast love” with “faithfulness” (verses 2, 24, 28, 33, 37), portraying David’s covenant as “firm” even amid exile because God has sworn by His holiness. Liturgical Affirmation: Amen The congregational “Amen” in worship (for example, Nehemiah 5:13; Psalm 106:48) is the communal echo of ʼāman. Speaking “Amen” is more than assent; it is the voiced acknowledgment that God’s word is utterly dependable and that the speaker personally aligns with that reality. Revelation 3:14 names Christ “the Amen,” drawing the entire hope of the church into the certainty embodied in the root. Connection to Truth and Integrity Truth (ʼĕmet) in the Hebrew mind is never abstract. Psalm 19:7 declares, “The testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Because God’s words are established, they function as wisdom’s bedrock. Likewise, ethical integrity is framed in vocabulary derived from ʼāman. Judges, prophets, kings, and ordinary citizens are measured by whether they prove “faithful” (Numbers 12:7; Psalm 101:6; Proverbs 13:17). Unfaithfulness, by contrast, is a denial of reality and an affront to the God whose very nature is faithfulness. Messianic Foreshadowing Isaiah 53:1 laments, “Who has believed our report?” Acceptance of the Servant’s redemptive work hinges on ʼāman, and the rejection of Christ in His first advent is characterized as unbelief—failure to anchor oneself in the sure report of God. Yet those who do believe are counted righteous, fulfilling the pattern set in Abraham and promised in Jeremiah 33:15-16. Distribution and Literary Variety The verb and its derivatives occur approximately 108 times, spanning Torah, Former Prophets, Writings, and Latter Prophets. Narrative, legal, poetic, wisdom, and prophetic genres all employ ʼāman, testifying to its theological breadth: • Genesis 15:6; 45:26 Practical Ministry Implications 1. Preaching and Teaching The preacher’s authority rests not in personality but in the ʼāman character of Scripture. Because God’s word is unfailingly reliable, exposition can be bold, urgent, and pastoral. 2. Leadership Integrity Moses is singled out as “faithful in all My house” (Numbers 12:7). Faithfulness thus becomes a qualification for shepherds, deacons, and missionaries (compare 1 Corinthians 4:2). 3. Discipleship and Counseling Spiritual nurture mirrors the nursing imagery of ʼāman. Mature believers “support” the immature, providing a context in which fledgling faith can grow sturdy. 4. Worship and Corporate Life The congregational Amen is a moment of communal ownership. Leaders can encourage thoughtful, hearty Amens that unite doctrine and devotion. 5. Missions and Evangelism The gospel call echoes Isaiah 53:1 and Habakkuk 2:4, urging every hearer to anchor life and eternity upon the proven reliability of God in Christ. Summary Hebrew 539, ʼāman, weaves together the character of God, the call of faith, and the fabric of community life. It assures that every promise is as solid as God Himself, summons every heart to trust, and shapes every ministry to reflect the stability found only in the LORD. Forms and Transliterations אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים אֱ֭מוּנִים אֱמוּנֵ֣י אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין אֹֽמְנַ֗יִךְ אֹֽמַנְתּוֹ֙ אֹמֵ֜ן אאמין אמוני אמונים אמן אמניך אמנתו בְּנֶֽאֶמְנֵי־ בנאמני־ הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין הֶ֝אֱמִ֗ינוּ הֶ֭אֱמִינוּ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙ הֶאֱמִ֔ינוּ הֶאֱמִ֖ין הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ הֶאֱמִ֣ין הֶאֱמִ֨ין הֶאֱמַ֣נְתִּי הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם הֶאֱמָֽנְתִּי׃ הַֽמַּאֲמִ֖ין הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן הַאֲמִ֜ינוּ הַאֲמִ֥ינוּ הַנֶּאֱמָנִֽים׃ הָאֱמֻנִים֙ הָאֹמְנִ֥ים הָאֹמֵן֙ האמין האמינו האמן האמנים האמנתי האמנתי׃ האמנתם המאמין הנאמן הנאמנים׃ התאמין וְ֠יֵֽאָמֵן וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּ וְהֶאֱמִ֖ן וְהָאֹמְנִ֨ים וְיֵאָמְנ֥וּ וְנֶ֣אֱמָנ֔וֹת וְנֶאְמַ֨ן וְנֶאֱמַן־ וְנֶאֱמָ֑ן וְנֶאֱמָנִֽים׃ וְתֵ֣אָמֵ֔נוּ וְתַאֲמִ֨ינוּ וַֽיַּאֲמִ֛ינוּ וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן וַיַּֽאֲמִ֙ינוּ֙ וַיַּאֲמִ֥ינוּ וַיַּאֲמֵ֥ן והאמינו והאמן והאמנים ויאמינו ויאמן ויאמנו ונאמן ונאמן־ ונאמנות ונאמנים׃ ותאמינו ותאמנו יֵֽאָמֵן֙ יֵאָ֤מֶן יֵאָמֵ֖ן יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין יַאֲמִ֑ין יַאֲמִ֑ינוּ יַאֲמִ֔ינוּ יַאֲמִ֡ינוּ יַאֲמִ֣ין יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ יַאֲמִ֥ין יַאֲמֵ֣ן יאמין יאמינו יאמן לְאֹמֶֽנֶת׃ לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים לאמנת׃ לנאמנים מַאֲמִינִ֔ם מאמינם נֶ֝אֱמָנִ֗ים נֶ֝אֱמָנָ֗ה נֶ֝אֶמְנ֗וּ נֶ֭אֱמָן נֶ֭אֱמָנִים נֶאֱמֶ֥נֶת נֶאֱמָ֑ן נֶאֱמָ֔ן נֶאֱמָ֗ן נֶאֱמָ֣ן נֶאֱמָ֥ן נֶאֱמָֽן׃ נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ נֶאֱמָן֙ נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים נֶאֱמָנִֽים׃ נֶאֱמָנִים֙ נֶאֱמָנָ֑ה נֶאֱמָנָֽה׃ נֶאֶמְנ֬וּ נֶאֶמְנָ֖ה נאמן נאמן׃ נאמנה נאמנה׃ נאמנו נאמנו׃ נאמנים נאמנים׃ נאמנת תֵּאָמַֽנָה׃ תֵאָמֵֽנוּ׃ תַּֽאֲמֶן־ תַּאֲמִ֣ינוּ תַּאֲמֵ֣ן תַאֲמִ֔ינוּ תַאֲמִ֖ין תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ תאמין תאמינו תאמן תאמן־ תאמנה׃ תאמנו׃ ’a’ămîn ’a·’ă·mîn ’ĕ·mū·nê ’ĕ·mū·nîm ’ĕmūnê ’ĕmūnîm ’ō·man·tōw ’ō·mə·na·yiḵ ’ō·mên ’ōmantōw ’ōmên ’ōmənayiḵ aaMin bə·ne·’em·nê- bəne’emnê- beneemnei emuNei emuNim ha’ămînū hā’ĕmunîm hā’ōmên hā’ōmənîm ha·’ă·mî·nū hā·’ĕ·mu·nîm hā·’ō·mə·nîm hā·’ō·mên hă·ṯa·’ă·mîn haaMinu haemuNim ham·ma·’ă·mîn hamma’ămîn hammaaMin han·ne·’ĕ·mā·nîm han·ne·’ĕ·mān hanne’ĕmān hanne’ĕmānîm hanneeMan hanneemaNim haoMen haomeNim hăṯa’ămîn hataaMin he’ĕmānətî he’ĕmantem he’ĕmantî he’ĕmîn he’ĕmînū he·’ĕ·mā·nə·tî he·’ĕ·man·tem he·’ĕ·man·tî he·’ĕ·mî·nū he·’ĕ·mîn heeManeti heemanTem heeManti heeMin heeMinu lə’ōmeneṯ lə·’ō·me·neṯ lə·ne·’ĕ·mā·nîm ləne’ĕmānîm leneemaNim leoMenet ma’ămînim ma·’ă·mî·nim maamiNim ne’ĕmān ne’ĕmānāh ne’ĕmānîm ne’ĕmānū ne’ĕmeneṯ ne’emnāh ne’emnū ne·’ĕ·mā·nāh ne·’ĕ·mā·nîm ne·’ĕ·mā·nū ne·’ĕ·mān ne·’ĕ·me·neṯ ne·’em·nāh ne·’em·nū neeMan neemaNah neemaNim neeManu neeMenet neemNah neemNu Neemon omanTo oMen omeNayich ta’ămên ta’ămen- ṯa’ămîn ta’ămînū ṯa’ămînū ta·’ă·mên ta·’ă·men- ta·’ă·mî·nū ṯa·’ă·mî·nū ṯa·’ă·mîn taamen taaMin taaMinu tê’āmanāh ṯê’āmênū tê·’ā·ma·nāh ṯê·’ā·mê·nū teaManah teaMenu vaiyaaMen vaiyaaMinu vehaomeNim veheeMin veheeMinu veneeman veneemaNim veNeemaNot veneMan vetaaMinu veTeaMenu Veyeamen veyeameNu way·ya·’ă·mên way·ya·’ă·mî·nū wayya’ămên wayya’ămînū wə·hā·’ō·mə·nîm wə·he·’ĕ·mî·nū wə·he·’ĕ·min wə·ne’·man wə·ne·’ĕ·mā·nîm wə·ne·’ĕ·mā·nō·wṯ wə·ne·’ĕ·mān wə·ne·’ĕ·man- wə·ṯa·’ă·mî·nū wə·ṯê·’ā·mê·nū wə·yê·’ā·mə·nū wə·yê·’ā·mên wəhā’ōmənîm wəhe’ĕmin wəhe’ĕmînū wəne’ĕmān wəne’ĕman- wəne’ĕmānîm wəne’ĕmānōwṯ wəne’man wəṯa’ămînū wəṯê’āmênū wəyê’āmên wəyê’āmənū ya’ămên ya’ămîn ya’ămînū ya·’ă·mên ya·’ă·mî·nū ya·’ă·mîn yaaMen yaaMin yaaMinu yê’āmen yê’āmên yê·’ā·men yê·’ā·mên yeAmenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 15:6 HEB: וְהֶאֱמִ֖ן בַּֽיהוָ֑ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ NAS: Then he believed in the LORD; KJV: And he believed in the LORD; INT: believed the LORD reckoned Genesis 42:20 Genesis 45:26 Exodus 4:1 Exodus 4:5 Exodus 4:8 Exodus 4:8 Exodus 4:9 Exodus 4:31 Exodus 14:31 Exodus 19:9 Numbers 11:12 Numbers 12:7 Numbers 14:11 Numbers 20:12 Deuteronomy 1:32 Deuteronomy 7:9 Deuteronomy 9:23 Deuteronomy 28:59 Deuteronomy 28:59 Deuteronomy 28:66 Judges 11:20 Ruth 4:16 1 Samuel 2:35 1 Samuel 2:35 108 Occurrences |
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be faithful, 
trust in, 
be secure);