# amen to that **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 8, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101 "2005-08-08T12:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![3penny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/f05b48/32.png) [@3penny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3penny)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/1 "2005-08-08T12:00:12Z")
I am sure that the Straight Dope covered this somewhere but a number of searches of the site haven’t revealed anything so I’ll post it and no doubt some kind person will flame me with the actual article. What is the origin of “amen” as used by Jew, Christians and Moslems? So far I have a) untranslated use of Hebrew word meaning faith/truth/verily b)kabbalah reveals that its numerical values equal adonai/jehovah c)use of egyptian gods name revealing egyptian sources of the Bible and possible link with theory that Akhenaten is Moses although Akhenaten’s God is of course the Aten which is a specific aspect only of Amen-re, a somewhat tenuous connection. Does anyone have the definitive response? Did Cecil ever cover this or am I hallucinating (amen!)? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/2 "2005-08-08T13:40:07Z")
In my Catholic upbringing, I was taught that it literally meant :“so be it”, and was generally used as an exclamation of affirmation of whatever had just been said. This [link](http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861585090) indicates that it is a Hebrew word that means “truly”. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/3 "2005-08-08T17:19:26Z")
> [@Tim Staab](#): > > In my Catholic upbringing, I was taught that it literally meant :“so be it”, and was generally used as an exclamation of affirmation of whatever had just been said. This [link](http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861585090) indicates that it is a Hebrew word that means “truly”. 😃 **"AMEN"** ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/4 "2005-08-08T17:29:25Z")
“Amen” as used by Muslims is an Arabic word meaning “so be it”. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/5 "2005-08-08T17:59:00Z")
Some people believe that the word came from the Hindu word/concept “OM” ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amen-to-that/316101/6 "2005-08-08T22:19:35Z")
> [@Tim Staab](#): > > In my Catholic upbringing, I was taught that it literally meant :“so be it”, and was generally used as an exclamation of affirmation of whatever had just been said. I was taught the same. We always ended our introductory prayers in French class with the phrase _ainsi soit-il_, the French form of “thus may it be”.