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A.--It is aman.
B.--As you do not know a letter of Hebrew, will you say for the encouragement of others
how you can so readily reply?
A.--Most gladly. I am using Young's Analytical Concordance, which not only gives the
English word, but places it under its corresponding Hebrew or Greek word, enabling one
to keep differing words distinct.
B.--Will you now turn to the word "faith" and tell me how it is used in the O.T. and what
Hebrew words are used?
A.--The word occurs but twice, viz., Deut. 32: 20 and Hab. 2: 4:--
"Children in whom is no faith" (Heb. emun).
"The just shall live by his faith" (Heb. emunah).
I notice moreover that "faithful" is the rendering of emun, emunah, aman or emeth,
and that with the exception of Psa. 5: 9 every occurrence of "faith" and "believe" in the
O.T. is a translation of aman or its cognates.
B.--The Hebrew word "amen" has passed over into the English language, and it is used
to endorse a prayer, or to express one's complete agreement with whatever has been
affirmed. The words of John 3: 33 may be taken as a practical comment on the Hebrew
word for faith:--
"He that received His testimony hath set his seal that God is true."
The simple conception of faith suggested by the words used in the O.T. may be
expressed in some such way as this, "Faith says amen to anything that God has said".
Whatever the doctrine or the practice that may be the subject at the time, faith bows the
head and says, "That is true". Of course I do no pretend that such a statement either
exhausts the subject or takes in every point of view, but this simple primary definition
will bring comfort where philosophy may bring distraction.
A.--If your suggestion is that when Abraham believed in the Lord he just bowed his head
with a humble "amen", I see this echoed in the words of Rom. 4: 20, 21:--
"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able
also to perform."
It is certainly very simple and rids the subject of a great deal that does not properly
belong to it.
I should appreciate a few words on the question of "how" we believe, at some future
time.