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Abel

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Biblical figure, second son of Adam and Eve, a shepherd whose sacrifice was favored by God and who was slain by his brother Cain.

Detailed Definition
Abel’s righteous offering pleased God, but his life was cut short by Cain’s envy. He is often seen as the first martyr. In poetry, Abel represents innocence, sacrifice, and the tragic cost of virtue in a fallen world.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Byron’s "Cain," Abel is portrayed as meek and pious, contrasting Cain’s rebellious nature; In the biblical tradition echoed in Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Abel’s sacrifice is accepted by God while Cain’s is not; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "A Drama of Exile," Abel symbolizes innocence lost through fratricide; In modern poetry like Rainer Maria Rilke’s "Abel," the figure embodies vulnerability and the tragedy of early death; In Thomas Hardy’s "The Pedigree," Abel appears as a silent witness to humanity’s moral decline; In Dante’s "Inferno," Abel is referenced as a righteous soul in Limbo, underscoring his virtue.
Additional Notes
Abel appears in the biblical narrative as the younger son of Adam and Eve, whose murder by his brother Cain (Genesis 4) symbolizes the tragic consequences of jealousy and the first instance of human violence; in poetry, Abel often represents innocence, sacrifice, or the archetype of the unjustly slain righteous man—frequently contrasted with Cain as a duality of good versus evil, and referenced in works exploring themes of fratricide, divine favor, and moral accountability.
Also Known As
Keeper of Flocks Innocent Martyr First Victim
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