And so it begins! Welcome to the MILLERWRITES go at the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge! This month I will be commenting on 26 weird words from the Word of God; that is, words that may have become a part of our common lexicon, but have meanings other than what you might expect, or words that are used so freely even though nobody really knows what they mean! Here is my introductory post on the subject where you can peruse my list of possible words to examine, and then leave a suggestion for me in the comment section.
And the word for today, appropriately, is AMEN! A commonly used word that we all know means: And so it begins. This word is used at the very beginning of prayers, before strongly stated agreeable claims, and to affirm, predicatively, what one is about to say.
Oh, wait a minute. Today happens to be April Fools day, so maybe we all know that AMEN means just the opposite of what I just said! (Gotcha!)
Actually.....
AMEN is said, or proclaimed after a prayer spoken by another as a means of declaring total ascent and agreement with what was just prayed. AMEN may also be shouted out, or quietly whispered as a form of declaring partnership or oneness with the speaker of any declaration.
Some have claimed that the original word came from the name of an Egyptian god, Amun, but this has never been academically verified. It seems to have originated with the Hebrews, but has since transferred virtually unchanged into Aramaic, Greek and all the way down the line to modern English. Jews, Muslims and Christians use the same word in the same way; as a statement of affirmative support for what was just said or prayed.
Only Jesus Christ (as was his wont) introduced a brand new usage of the phrase. You may have heard a verse or two that begins "verily, verily....". Well that translation is given for times when Jesus broke the mold by using AMEN before He said something especially vital, as a way of affirming and emphasizing the import of His OWN, about to be spoken, words! This use had no precedent in Jewish history. But then, neither did Jesus!
Some information here was gleaned from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amen#Etymology
And the word for today, appropriately, is AMEN! A commonly used word that we all know means: And so it begins. This word is used at the very beginning of prayers, before strongly stated agreeable claims, and to affirm, predicatively, what one is about to say.
Oh, wait a minute. Today happens to be April Fools day, so maybe we all know that AMEN means just the opposite of what I just said! (Gotcha!)
Actually.....
AMEN is said, or proclaimed after a prayer spoken by another as a means of declaring total ascent and agreement with what was just prayed. AMEN may also be shouted out, or quietly whispered as a form of declaring partnership or oneness with the speaker of any declaration.
Some have claimed that the original word came from the name of an Egyptian god, Amun, but this has never been academically verified. It seems to have originated with the Hebrews, but has since transferred virtually unchanged into Aramaic, Greek and all the way down the line to modern English. Jews, Muslims and Christians use the same word in the same way; as a statement of affirmative support for what was just said or prayed.
Only Jesus Christ (as was his wont) introduced a brand new usage of the phrase. You may have heard a verse or two that begins "verily, verily....". Well that translation is given for times when Jesus broke the mold by using AMEN before He said something especially vital, as a way of affirming and emphasizing the import of His OWN, about to be spoken, words! This use had no precedent in Jewish history. But then, neither did Jesus!
Some information here was gleaned from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amen#Etymology
Oh I loved this Mike!! I remember a study we did into Amen vaguely coming back to mind now that I've read this. I wonder where I put my notes to it? Anyway--thanks for the great reminder! Great way to kick off the challenge!! Cheers, Jenn.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wine-n-chat.com
There are a bunch of 'mysterious' A words that might be looked into, but this one was requested, and deserved a little more clarity. Amen?
DeleteMike, thank you for picking "Amen"! May I print this? I'm going to do so!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Thank YOU, for the request. It helped me to narrow down the options. I thought about writing about more of the'A' words but we are told to keep these posts brief. Thanks for reading!
DeleteThis word confused one of my kids when she was small. She couldn't understand why she had to say 'Our Men' at the end of prayer!
ReplyDeleteAs well she should be Paula! I gained a better understanding of 'verily' from writing this. I never knew it was a pre-Amen.
DeleteThe etimology of words is a fascinating way to tackle this A-Z challenge Mike. I will no doubt, be back to check on your lists as they progress.
ReplyDeleteA-Z 2012 (#861)
Bloggit Write A-Z 2012 - Haiku
Hello, Fellow Challenger, from #424-Rockin'Chair Reflections! Great overall theme! Very much looking forward to further posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very religious but I'll admit to being confused by the beginning of your post. For a moment I thought I knew even less than I thought I did, if you know what I mean :-)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post as always. My son always shouts Amen at the end of his prayers. Not quite sure why, but it is a little amusing.
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com/
I love learning about the origins of words. I like your theme, too. I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteElaine
elainelk-tealeaves.blogspot.com