Can anyone tell me what the expression "Amen" means in detail?

Question

I was told was told once when I was younger but can't quite remember.

And/or is there a place on the net where Biblical terminology is explained (preferably for free)?

Wow I must say I never even new or thought to look in the dictionary, I guess that was a little naive of me :)

Bless You All for your feedback and thank you all for the links, they've all been pretty much a huge help and I think I'm starting to understand some things which I didn't when I was younger...thankyou (and I really mean that). And I'll be looking forward to more understanding in the future.
And seeing as though I'm no expert on this I'll have to put it to vote.

Answer 1

Amen means "So be it" http://www.truthinlove.com/studies/answers/bible_terminology.html
http://www.aboundingjoy.com/Bible%20studies/terminology.htm
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=49#books&version=49;

Answer 2

Zodiahtes Word Study

Hebrew

ָאֵמן
’āmēn: An adverb meaning verily or truly. The word is used more often as the declaration may it be so. It comes from a root meaning to confirm; to support; to be faithful. The major idea behind this word is constancy and reliability. It is used as a declaration to acknowledge affirmation of a statement (1Ki_1:36); acceptance of a curse (Neh_5:13); affirmation of a prophecy (Jer_28:6). It is also used in response to worship and praise (1Ch_16:36; Neh_8:6). The English word amen comes from this word and means, "I agree; may it be so."

Greek

αμήν
amḗn; transliterated from the Hebr. ’āmēn (H543). Amen, to be firm, steady, truthworthy. Rendered also as "truth" (Isa_65:16, "God of amen"; Jer_11:5, "So be it"). The Gr. word is a transliteration of the Hebr. and is rendered "verily" in the frequently recurring formula, "Verily, verily, I say unto you."

(I) In the OT used often at the end of a sentence as an adv. meaning truly, surely, certainly. It thus confirms the preceding words and invokes their fulfillment: "so be it," equivalent to the Gr. génoito, the 2d aor. opt. of gínomai (G1096), to be, to become.

(II) Used also in oaths or imprecations being equivalent to a binding promise (Neh_5:13; Deu_27:15-26, in the Sept. rendered génoito). A response of praise by the people when listening to a choir (Psa_41:13-14; Psa_72:19; Psa_89:52 [cf. 1Ch_16:36; Neh_8:6; Psa_106:48]).

(III) In the Sept., génoito is used also by individuals as an imprecation (Num_5:22) or in response to a command (1Ki_1:36). More rarely in the OT, it stands at the beginning of a sentence for the sake of emphasis, i.e., assuredly, verily, in truth; equivalent to alēthṓs ([G230] Sept.: Jos_7:20).

(IV) In the NT, it indicates affirmation, in truth, verily, it is so (Mat_5:18, Mat_5:26; Mat_6:2 [cf. 2Co_1:20]). Equivalent to alēthós (G230), truly, verily (cf. Mat_16:28; Luk_9:27).

(V) In the entire NT, only the Lord Jesus uses amḗn at the beginning of a sentence as a word of affirmation. Throughout the Gospel of John, the Lord uses the word amḗn, doubled in Joh_1:51, "Amen, amen, I say unto you," or "Verily, verily, I say unto you," which could be rendered, "I who am the Amen [Truth itself] tell you as a most certain and infallible truth" (a.t.). See also Mat_6:5, Mat_6:16; Mat_8:10; Mat_10:15, Mat_10:23, Mat_10:42; Mat_11:11; Mat_13:17; Mat_17:20; Mat_18:3, Mat_18:13, Mat_18:18; Mat_19:23, Mat_19:28; Mat_21:21, Mat_21:31; Mat_23:36; Mat_24:2, Mat_24:34, Mat_24:47; Mat_25:12, Mat_25:40, Mat_25:45; Mat_26:13, Mat_26:21, Mat_26:34; Mat_28:20; Mar_3:28; Mar_6:11; Mar_8:12; Mar_9:1, Mar_9:41; Mar_10:15, Mar_10:29; Mar_11:23; Mar_12:43; Mar_13:30; Mar_14:9, Mar_14:18, Mar_14:25, Mar_14:30; Mar_16:20; Luk_4:24; Luk_12:37; Luk_13:35; Luk_18:17, Luk_18:29; Luk_21:32; Luk_23:43; Luk_24:53; Joh_3:3, Joh_3:5, Joh_3:11; Joh_5:19, Joh_5:24-25; Joh_6:26, Joh_6:32, Joh_6:47, Joh_6:53; Joh_8:34, Joh_8:51, Joh_8:58; Joh_10:1, Joh_10:7; Joh_12:24; Joh_13:16, Joh_13:20-21, Joh_13:38; Joh_14:12; Joh_16:20, Joh_16:23; Joh_21:18, Joh_21:25; Rom_16:24; 1Co_16:24; Gal_1:5; Gal_6:18; Eph_3:21; Eph_6:24; Phi_4:20, Phi_4:23; Col_4:18; 1Th_5:28; 2Th_3:18; 1Ti_6:16; 2Ti_4:18; Phm_1:25; Heb_13:21, Heb_13:25; 1Pe_4:11; 1Pe_5:11; 2Pe_3:18; Jud_1:25; Rev_1:6; Rev_5:14; Rev_7:12; Rev_19:4; Rev_22:20. Each of the four gospels ends with amḗn.

(VI) It also means consent or desire, so be it, and as such it concludes prayers (Mat_6:13; Rom_15:33; 2Co_13:14). It expresses thanksgiving (Rom_11:36; Rom_16:27 [cf. 1Co_14:16]); used to express both affirmation and thanksgiving (Rom_1:25; Rom_9:5); used both for affirmation and supplication (Rev_1:7; Rev_22:21); as a noun referring to the Lord Jesus with the implication of His faithfulness and true witness (Rev_3:14).

Syn.: génoito, let it be, 2d aor. opt. of gínomai (G1096), to be, become; naí (G3483), yea, verily; the particle mén (G3303), indeed; and in Act_26:9, combined with oún (G3767), therefore, meaning yea.

Ant.: mḗ génoito (mḗ [G3361], not; génoito [2d aor. opt. of gínomai {G1096}, to be], become), let it not be, "God forbid"; mḗpote (G3379), not ever; mḗpō (G3380), not yet; and the more absolute oudépote (G3763) and oudépō (G3764), never.

Answer 3

You will notice in the bible that there are several books, one is the Psalms and the others I'm not sure the names at this moment, that there is no "Amen" at the end. This means that it is not finished. This means there is still prophetic things still waiting to happen. The end will not come till everything is fullfilled in the Laws of Moses (all of the books included in that), the Psalms and of the Prophets, (refers to what was prophesied by the Prophets). Read Luke 24:44

In the book of Psalms it has been taught by some scholars, that Psalm 1 starts counting down from year 1901, Psalm 2, 1902 and so forth. This is called the study of Hermeneutics. (spelling not certain) There have been books written on this. It is something worth studying since Psalms is a prophetic book.

Answer 4

www.blueletterbible.org

1 Strong's Number: 281 Greek: amen
is transliterated from Hebrew into both Greek and English. "Its meanings may be seen in such passages as Deu 7:9, 'the faithful (the Amen) God,' Isa 49:7, 'Jehovah that is faithful.' Isa 65:16, 'the God of truth,' marg., 'the God of Amen.' And if God is faithful His testimonies and precepts are 'sure (amen),' Psa 19:7; 111:7, as are also His warnings, Hsa 5:9, and promises, Isa 33:16; 55:3. 'Amen' is used of men also, e.g., Pro 25:13. "There are cases where the people used it to express their assent to a law and their willingness to submit to the penalty attached to the breach of it, Deu 27:15, cp. Neh 5:13. It is also used to express acquiescence in another's prayer, 1Ki 1:36, where it is defined as "(let) God say so too," or in another's thanksgiving, 1Ch 16:36, whether by an individual, Jer 11:5, or by the congregation, Psa 106:48. "Thus 'Amen' said by God 'it is and shall be so,' and by men, 'so let it be.'" "Once in the NT 'Amen' is a title of Christ, Rev 3:14, because through Him the purposes of God are established, 2Cr 1:20 "The early Christian churches followed the example of Isreal in associating themselves audibly with the prayers and thanksgivings offered on their behalf, 1Cr 14:16, where the article 'the' points to a common practice. Moreover this custom conforms to the pattern of things in the Heavens, see Rev 5:14, etc. "The individual also said 'Amen' to express his 'let it be so' in response to the Divine 'thus it shall be,' Rev 22:20. Frequently the speaker adds 'Amen' to his own prayers and doxologies, as is the case at Eph 3:21, e.g. "The Lord Jesus often used 'Amen,' translated 'verily,' to introduce new revelations of the mind of God. In John's Gospel it is always repeated, 'Amen, Amen,' but not elsewhere. Luke does not use it at all, but where Matthew, Mat 16:28, and Mark, Mar 9:1, have 'Amen,' Luke has 'of a truth;' thus by varying the translation of what the Lord said, Luke throws light on His meaning."* [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 26, 27.] See VERILY.

Answer 5

Indian mystical thinking influenced Judaism in many ways. Scholars believe Aum (Om) became Amen and, as such, was later incorporated into Christianity. Amen is said to mean "so be it", though this may be a later interpretation. Amen is widely mentioned in the Bible. It is used during worship (Revelations 3:14) as an expression of benediction (1 Chronicles 16.36), for expressing one's love of God (2 Corinthians 1:20), or as sign of gratitude.

The Bible calls the Pranava “the Amen [Om], the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” (Revelation 3:14) This Word gave birth to all things, for “by the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalms 33:6) This creative process is referred to at the very beginning of the Bible: “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters” (Psalms 29:3). “He spake, and it was done” (Psalms 33:9).

Answer 6

It can also carry the sense of "so it is." New Testament scholars have noted that it was rather unusual for someone to START a statement with "amen/ so it is." But the historical Jesus apparently did that often. It's usually translated in that case, in the King James version of the gospels, as "Verily, verily, I say unto you ...", with the "verily verily" being a translation for "amen amen."
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Answer 7

I was always told it meant "So be it" or "Let it happen." When people say it during a sermon, they are telling the pastor they agree with whatever point he just made. Sometimes it's just a way of saying I'm done so everyone can understand. Hope that helps.

Answer 8

I've been learning a little Biblical Greek, and the definition I've been given is: "Verily, Truly, Amen, So let it be."

You can find a lot of free Biblical resources on http://www.e-sword.net/

Answer 9

The Origin of the Word “Amen”
The word “Amen” makes its first appearance in the Bible under the most solemn circumstances. When a husband accused his wife of adultery, and she protested her innocence, and she had not been caught in the act, the matter was settled by God under the test of bitter water (Num 5:12-31). The woman was taken to the priest, and the priest put her under oath. She submitted to a ceremony in which she drank some water containing dust from the tabernacle floor. If she had committed adultery, she was be cursed with a wasting disease, but if she did not get sick, then she was proven innocent and her husband was proven wrong.

During the ceremony, when the priest pronounced the curse, the woman was required by God to say, "Amen, Amen". (Num 5:22). That is the first occurrence of the word in scripture. The Lord commands it to be said by a person who is yielding herself to examination by him in his presence.

The word “Amen” probably goes back a long way. Some think it is of pagan origin (there was an Egyptian god called Amen-Ra). Perhaps that ancient usage reflects an even earlier existence of the word. As to its use in the Bible, however, we first encounter the word in this commandment spoken by the Lord (Num 5:22).


Why do we say “Amen”?
The word “Amen” is almost always the last word of a solemn statement. In the first example, it was said by the woman at the end of the priest's pronouncement of the curse and of her taking the oath. We find the word “Amen” as the last word in several instances in the Bible.

The word is found in the last verses of the Bible (Rev 22:20-21).
The first three books of Psalms end with Amen (Psa 41:13, 72:19, 89:52).
Most books of the New Testament end with it (KJV).
In the land of Israel, when a prayer or prophecy was made, or a law of God was read, "All the people said, “Amen”" (Neh 5:13, 8:6).
The Lord's example prayer ends with “Amen” (Mtt 6:13).
Paul uses the word seven times in his letter to the Romans at the end of doxologies or benedictions (Rom 1:25, 9:5, 11:36, 15:33, 16:20,24,27)
Paul implies that people should say “Amen” at the end of a prayer in church (1Co 14:16).
The word “Amen” appears therefore to be the fitting last word for solemn utterances made before God.


What Does “Amen” Mean?
Oddly, to get a scriptural answer to what “Amen” means, we go to a place where it is used not as the last word but the first word. Jesus would often start a solemn statement by saying "Verily" or "Truly". In John's gospel (eg Jhn 3:3) Jesus is recorded as using the word twice in succession, "Verily, verily, I say to you...". This is actually the word “Amen”.

When we compare an instance of this in Mark, with the same statement in Luke, we find Mark has left the word untranslated (just as αμην “Amen”), but Luke has translated it using the word αληθος "Truly". (Mark 9:1, Lke 9:27). This shows us that the underlying meaning of the word “Amen” is truth and verity. It is a solemn affirmation. When we say, “Amen” we are saying, "Yes before God I agree with that, I believe that to be true, I want that to be so".

In some other interesting and helpful passages...

Instead of saying, "Amen, Amen" Jeremiah paraphrased the second Amen in his statement, "Amen, the Lord do so" (Jer 28:6).
One of God's names or titles is "The God of Truth". If we left the last word untranslated, the title would read, "The God of Amen" (Isa 65:16).
Paul uses the word as an affirmation when he says of Christ, "For as many as may be the promises of God, in him they are 'yes' and in him 'Amen'" (2Co 1:20).
One of the names of Jesus is "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness" (Rev 3:14).
These passages show us that the word “Amen” is a solemn affirmation of truth, a special word that we can use whenever we have said (or heard) something that is true before God.

Answer 10

So be it - means to be in agreement with God's Word and His expressed Will on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Bring the Presence of God from the unseen world into the seen world.

Answer 11

I once heard a lecture where the word 'Amen' was delved into the limits of philology. In that lecture, it was proposed that the word had to do with a 'state of mind', where the mind was in a 'state of doubtlessness' or 'the state of mind where there is no doubt'. With doubt absent, there was only faith: trust in what was being 'amened'.

That's my understanding of it.