From the same root as aman (H539), emeth means truth as reliability, firmness, and trustworthiness. It is not primarily abstract truth but truth as experienced — that which proves itself dependable. God's emeth means He is utterly reliable.
Emeth is frequently paired with chesed — "lovingkindness and truth" — showing that God's love is reliable and His reliability is loving. Truth in Hebrew thought is something you do as much as something you know.
The Hebrew understanding of truth as reliability challenges modern Western assumptions. A person of emeth is dependable, consistent, and trustworthy in action. This enriches Jesus' claim to be "the truth" (John 14:6) — not merely stating facts but claiming to be the utterly reliable embodiment of God's character. The Greek alētheia (G225) carries forward this concept.