ἀμήν

ἀμήν — amḗn

ἀμήν, Hebrew אָמֵן;

1. verbal adjective (from אָמַן to prop; Niph. to be firm), firm, metaphorically, faithful: ὁ ἀμήν, Rev. iii. 14 (where is added ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός καί ἀληθινός).

2. it came to be used as an adverb by which something is asserted or confirmed:

a. at the beginning of a discourse, surely, of a truth, truly; so frequent in the discourses of Christ in Matthew, Mark, and Luke: ἀμήν λέγω ὑμῖν 'I solemnly declare unto you,' e. g. Mat 5:18; Mar 3:28; Luk 4:24. The repetition of the word (ἀμήν ἀμήν), employed by John alone in his Gospel (twenty-five times), has the force of a superlative, most assuredly: Joh 1:51;.

b. at the close of a sentence; so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled (γένοιτο, the Sept. Num 5:22; Deu 27:15, etc.): Rom 1:25; Rom 9:5; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:21; Php 4:20; 1Ti 1:17; Heb 13:21; 1Pe 4:11; Rev 1:6, and often; cf. Jer 11:5; Jer 35:6; 1Ki 1:30. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues into the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed had offered up a solemn prayer to God, the others in attendance responded Amen, and thus made the substance of what was uttered their own: 1Co 14:16 (τό ἀμήν, the well-known response Amen), cf. Num 5:22; Deu 27:15 ff; Neh 5:13; Neh 8:6. 2Co 1:20 αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι... τό ναί, καί... τό ἀμήν, i. e. had shown themselves most sure. (Cf. B. D. under the word.)