StrongerBible

emunah

אֱמוּנָה

HebrewH0530“faithfulness, truth, ...”

Appears 49 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Exo 17:12Deu 32:41Sa 26:232Ki 12:15(16)2Ki 22:71Ch 9:221Ch 9:261Ch 9:312Ch 19:92Ch 31:122Ch 31:152Ch 31:182Ch 34:12Psa 33:4Psa 36:5(6)Psa 37:3Psa 40:10(11)Psa 88:11(12)Psa 89:1(2)Psa 89:2(3)Psa 89:5(6)Psa 89:8(9)Psa 89:24(25)Psa 89:33(34)Psa 89:49(50)Psa 92:2(3)Psa 96:13Psa 98:3Psa 100:5Psa 119:30Psa 119:90Psa 143:1Pro 28:20Isa 33:6Lam 3:23Hab 2:4
Word studyeh-moo-NAHnoun

What emunah means

firmness that you can lean on: steadiness, reliability, faithfulness

TranslatabilityPartialCertaintySettled

At its root this word means firmness, the quality of something that holds steady and does not give way. In its one most literal use it describes Moses' hands held steady until sundown. Everywhere else that physical picture has become a picture of character: a person or a God who is dependable, who can be counted on to keep doing what is right and to keep their word.

The senses below are not different meanings so much as the same idea pointed in different directions. Steadiness in a pair of arms, steadiness in how a person handles money or speaks the truth, and steadiness in how God treats his people are all the same trait of being firm and trustworthy. The richest cluster of uses is in the Psalms, where God's faithfulness is celebrated as the thing that never fails, paired again and again with his loyal love.

Because the word is about reliability rather than mere sincerity, English translators reach for many words: faithfulness, steadfastness, honesty, truth, stability, even security. Each catches part of it. The common thread is something solid enough to put your full weight on.

Nuances

1aphysical steadiness: something held firm and unmoving
Exo 17:12
1bthe faithfulness of God: his unfailing reliability toward his people
Deu 32:4Psa 33:4Psa 36:5(6)Psa 40:10(11)Psa 88:11(12)Psa 89:1(2)Psa 89:2(3)Psa 89:5(6)Psa 89:8(9)Psa 89:24(25)Psa 89:33(34)Psa 89:49(50)
1cthe faithfulness of people: honest, trustworthy conduct and dealing
1Sa 26:232Ki 12:15(16)2Ki 22:71Ch 9:221Ch 9:261Ch 9:312Ch 19:92Ch 31:122Ch 31:152Ch 31:182Ch 34:12Psa 119:30

What scholars say about emunah

The standard lexica (HALOT, BDB, DCH) treat H0530 as a single word built on the root "-m-n, with a core sense of firmness or steadiness that extends from the literal (Moses" steady hands, Exod 17:12) to the moral (faithfulness, reliability, honest conduct). The dominant biblical use is theological: in the Psalter especially, God's emunah is his unfailing dependability, frequently in parallel with hesed (Ps 89; 92:2; 100:5). TDOT (Jepsen) and TWOT trace the semantic field of the root and stress that the noun denotes demonstrated trustworthiness rather than subjective belief. The contested locus is Hab 2:4. The Masoretic "the righteous shall live by his faithfulness" is most naturally read of the faithful person's own steadfastness; the Septuagint reads "my faithfulness" (God's), and Paul's citations (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38) draw the believing-trust sense forward through Greek pistis. Commentators (e.g. Andersen, Habakkuk; J. A. Emerton) debate whose faithfulness is meant and whether "faith" or "faithfulness" best renders it.

Sources

  • HALOT, s.v. אֱמוּנָהlexicon
  • BDB, s.v. אֱמוּנָהlexicon
  • DCH, s.v. אֱמוּנָהlexicon
  • A. Jepsen, "אָמַן" in TDOT, vol. 1theological-dictionary
  • TWOT, no. 116 ("אמן")theological-dictionary
  • F. I. Andersen, Habakkuk (Anchor Bible)commentary

AI-generated word study · claude-opus-4-8

All attested forms of אֱמוּנָה

f s absolute

אֱמוּנָה, אֱמֻנָה

Exo 17:12, Deu 32:4, 2Ki 22:7, 1Ch 9:26, 1Ch 9:31, 2Ch 19:9, 2Ch 31:12, 2Ch 31:15

f s construct

אֱמוּנָתְךָ, אֱמוּנָתֶךָ, אֱמֻנָתְךָ

Psa 36:5, Psa 40:10, Psa 88:11, Psa 89:1, Psa 89:2, Psa 89:5, Psa 89:8, Psa 92:2

f s construct

אֱמוּנָתוֹ, אֱמֻנָתוֹ

Psa 96:13, Psa 98:3, Psa 100:5, Hab 2:4, 1Sa 26:23

f s construct

אֱמוּנָתִי, אֶמוּנָתִי

Psa 89:33, Psa 89:24

f s construct

אֱמוּנָתָם

1Ch 9:22, 2Ch 31:18

f p absolute

אֱמוּנוֹת

Pro 28:20

f s construct

אֱמוּנַת

Isa 33:6