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Absalom

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

The rebellious and famously beautiful son of King David in the Hebrew Bible, whose failed coup and tragic death symbolize familial betrayal and political ambition.

Detailed Definition
Absalom, famed for his long hair and charisma, murdered his half-brother Amnon and later led a revolt against David, dying when his hair caught in a tree. His tale is a cautionary drama of pride, vengeance, and filial betrayal. Poets use Absalom to evoke the sorrow of broken kinship, the allure of rebellion, and the tragic cost of unresolved grief.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Dryden’s "Absalom and Achitophel," Absalom’s rebellion allegorizes political sedition in Restoration England; In Alfred Tennyson’s "King David," Absalom’s beauty and pride lead to tragic downfall; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "Aurora Leigh," Absalom symbolizes wasted potential and filial betrayal; In William Blake’s "The Ghost of Abel," fraternal conflict echoes Absalom’s story; In George Herbert’s "The Flower," Absalom’s death evokes the sorrow of lost youth; In Christina Rossetti’s "Goblin Market," Absalom’s fate warns against seductive rebellion.
Additional Notes
Absalom: Son of David famed for his beauty, rebellion, and tragic death (2 Samuel 13–19). A quintessential tragic figure—charismatic yet flawed—Absalom symbolizes filial betrayal, political ambition, and the sorrow of paternal love. His long hair (2 Sam 14:26) and entanglement in the oak tree (2 Sam 18:9) are vivid poetic images. Useful in explorations of pride, exile, and the consequences of unresolved grief.
Also Known As
Absalom son of David Absalom the Rebellious
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