Aramaic word · H540
אֲמַן
heimin
to trust
The root ʾmn means being firm, steady, reliable. The causative form (Aramaic haphel, Hebrew hiphil he'ĕmîn) means "to treat as firm." That covers relying on someone, trusting, and believing a report or person. With the preposition bə- ("in") it means putting your weight on a person or God.
A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?
Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) to confirm, support
1a) (Aphel)
1a1) to believe in
1a2) to trust
1a3) trustworthy (pass participle)
Aramaic of a.man (אָמַן "be faithful" H0539)
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
The root ʾmn means being firm, steady, reliable. The causative form (Aramaic haphel, Hebrew hiphil he'ĕmîn) means "to treat as firm." That covers relying on someone, trusting, and believing a report or person. With the preposition bə- ("in") it means putting your weight on a person or God. Other Biblical Aramaic uses of the root are passive: "trustworthy" (Dan 6:4, of Daniel himself) and "certain" (Dan 2:45, of the dream's interpretation).
- Against the English
Most modern versions say "trusted." KJV and YLT say "believed," which is a correct older sense of the word. But a modern reader tends to hear "believed" as agreeing that certain facts about God are true.
- How it drifted
In older English, "believe in" carried personal reliance. Over time "belief" has come to mean mostly mental agreement with propositions, as in creeds and statements of faith. The Aramaic verb is about relying on someone, not holding an opinion.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Hebrew he'ĕmîn bə- is used of Abraham (Gen 15:6), of Israel at the sea (Exod 14:31), and in Isaiah's wordplay "If you do not stand firm in faith (ta'ămînû), you will not stand firm (tē'āmēnû)" (Isa 7:9). Theodotion's Greek of Daniel renders this verse with episteusen ("he trusted/believed"), and the Vulgate has credidit. Hebrews 11:33 recalls those who "through faith… stopped the mouths of lions."
- Range of meaning
Yaṣṣîv (H3330): firm, certain, true. It appears in "I know for certain" (2:8), "True, O king" (3:24), "the matter is certain" (6:12/13), and "the truth" about the visions (7:16, 19). Mĕhêman, a passive participle of ʾmn (the root of "amen"), means made firm, reliable, trustworthy. Daniel 6:4/5 uses it of Daniel himself: "he was faithful."
- Against the English
KJV "certain... sure," BSB "true... trustworthy," WEB "certain... sure," YLT "true... stedfast." All are reasonable. "Sure" can sound like a mere feeling of confidence; the Aramaic describes the object, something firm enough to lean on.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Hebrew neʾĕmān ("reliable, faithful") is used of God (Deut 7:9), of Moses (Num 12:7), and of a lasting house or dynasty (1 Sam 25:28; 2 Sam 7:16). Formulas that guarantee an oracle or its interpretation also appear in Mesopotamian divination reports.
- Range of meaning
A passive participle of the causative stem of ʾmn ('to be firm, reliable'). It means 'trusted, reliable, dependable'. It is used of people and of statements alike.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB/ESV 'faithful', BSB/NIV 'trustworthy'. 'Trustworthy' fits the setting better. 'Faithful' is accurate, but modern readers tend to hear religious devotion.
- How it drifted
In church language 'faithful' has come to mean mainly 'devout, loyal to God'. Here the word describes how reliable Daniel was as an official.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The same form appears in Daniel 2:45, 'its interpretation is trustworthy (məhêman)', where it describes a reliable statement. It is related to Hebrew neʾĕmān (e.g. Nehemiah 13:13, treasurers chosen because they were 'counted reliable') and to 'amen'.
Where it appears
Daniel · 3
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Daniel 2:45 וּמְהֵימַ֥ן and [is] trustworthy
And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
Here: "And reliable," from the same root as "amen." The interpretation can bear full weight and will prove true.
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Daniel 6:4 מְהֵימַ֣ן [was] trustworthy
Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
Here: A passive participle of the root behind 'amen': 'one who is trusted' or 'one who can be relied on'. In context it means reliable in his official duties.
-
Daniel 6:23 הֵימִ֥ן he had trusted
The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Here: "He had trusted / relied." It comes from the root of firmness and reliability (the root of "amen"). Daniel staked himself on God as something solid. The trust showed in his keeping up his prayers when the decree forbade it.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.