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If you look up this word in Strong’s Concordance, you’ll find the following two entries – depending on which part of the Bible you’re studying.
Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew): 543 amen (53b); from 539; verily, truly:–Amen(28), truth(2).
New Testament (originally written in Greek): 281 amên; adv. of Heb. or. [543]; truly:–Amen(30), truly(99).
Strong’s Concordance of the New American Standard Bible 1995
Notice that of the 30 times the word appears in the OT, it’s translated as “Amen” 28 times and as “truth” 2 times.
Notice also that of the 129 times it appears in the NT, it’s translated as “Amen” 39 times and as “truly” 99 times.
Notice from the OT entry for Strong’s (543) that the English word is not actually a translation, but rather simply a transliteration from the Hebrew. Greek does the same thing as English – that is, it transliterates the term. To give examples from another language, the words “croissant,” entrepreneur,” and “rendezvous” are all French words that have been transliterated into English – that is, imported into English.
Notice also that the meaning of “amen” is “truth” or “truly.” The Urban Dictionary would say “Word!”
Consider, therefore, what Jesus was meaning when He would precede one of His statements with “Truly, truly, I say to you…” because what the people were hearing was “Amen, amen, I say to you…”
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