“Truth and trust are closely related words, as displayed in the archaic form of the word for truth, “troth,” as in “to pledge your troth.” “Truth” at its root signifies a covenant of trustworthiness, in a marriage contract. To be true to another means to be trusty! This root meaning is not peculiar to European etymologies. Indeed, the Hebrew concepts that used to be translated in the Old Testament as “truth”–emet, emunah–actually mean “faithfulness” or “trustworthiness.” To see the shift, consider, for instance, the King James translation of Psalm 33:4: “For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.” The translation is not exactly wrong; but it reinforces a conventional European notion of truth as cognitive correctness.”

On they Mystery, C. Keller, pg. 37

Painting by Mequitta Ahuja

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