Amen

Moses tells Israel to stand on two mountains while the Levites call out warnings, and after each one “all the people shall say, Amen.” The word is a spoken yes, a way of making words your own. It closes psalms of praise and the prayer Jesus taught. Ezra blesses the Lord and the people answer “Amen, Amen,” lifting their hands. Paul asks how a listener can say it if he cannot follow what was prayed. In Revelation, Christ is even called “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” Nehemiah 8 shows a whole crowd saying it together, and it makes a good place to begin.

31 verses

Numbers

Numbers 5:22

And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 27:12

These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:

Deuteronomy 27:13

And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Deuteronomy 27:14

And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,

Deuteronomy 27:15

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:16

Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:17

Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:18

Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:19

Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:20

Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:21

Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:22

Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:23

Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:24

Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:25

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:26

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

1 Kings

1 Kings 1:36

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:36

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 5:13

Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

Nehemiah 8:6

And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Psalms

Psalms 41:13

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Psalms 72:19

And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

Psalms 89:52

Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

Psalms 106:48

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 28:6

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Matthew

Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 14:16

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:20

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Revelation

Revelation 1:18

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 3:14

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Revelation 5:14

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

This Hebrew word means firm, and hence also faithful (Rev. 3:14). In Isa. 65:16, the Authorized Version has “the God of truth,” which in Hebrew is “the God of Amen.” It is frequently used by our Saviour to give emphasis to his words, where it is translated “verily.” Sometimes, only, however, in John’s Gospel, it is repeated, “Verily, verily.” It is used as an epithet of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 3:14).

It is found singly and sometimes doubly at the end of prayers (Ps. 41:13; 72:19; 89:52), to confirm the words and invoke the fulfilment of them. It is used in token of being bound by an oath (Num. 5:22; Deut. 27:15-26; Neh. 5:13; 8:6; 1 Chr. 16:36). In the primitive churches it was common for the general audience to say “Amen” at the close of the prayer (1 Cor. 14:16).

Read the full entry

The promises of God are Amen; i.e., they are all true and sure (2 Cor. 1:20).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

literally "true" and used as a substantive, "that which is true," "truth," (Isaiah 65:16) a word used in strong asseverations, fixing, as it were, the stamp of truth upon the assertion which it accompanied, and making it binding as an oath. Comp. (Numbers 5:22) In the synagogues and private houses it was customary for the people or members of the family who were present to say "amen" to the prayers which were offered. (Matthew 6:13; 1 Corinthians 14:16) And not only public prayers, but those offered in private, and doxologies, were appropriately concluded with "amen." (Romans 9:5; 11:36; 15:33; 16:27; 2 Corinthians 13:14) etc.