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Ahikam

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

A royal official who protected the prophet Jeremiah from execution during King Jehoiakim’s reign.

Detailed Definition
Ahikam’s intervention (Jeremiah 26) preserved a major prophetic voice. His support exemplifies courage amid political peril. In poetry, Ahikam represents the quiet defender of truth, the ally who enables prophecy to survive, often symbolizing moral courage in oppressive regimes.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ahikam—protector of Jeremiah—inspires a poem on quiet courage: “While kings raged, Ahikam shielded the weeping prophet”; In a sonnet on advocacy, “Blessed are the Ahikams who stand between truth and the sword”; A modern parallel: “In every age, an Ahikam must say: ‘Do not kill the messenger’”; Historical verse: “Ahikam’s hand stayed the mob—thus the Word survived another dawn.”
Additional Notes
Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah from execution during Jehoiakim’s reign (Jeremiah 26:24), demonstrating rare royal support for prophetic dissent. His family (including Gedaliah, the post-exilic governor) played key roles in Judah’s final decades. Ahikam embodies the tension between state power and prophetic truth—a compelling motif for political or ethical poetry exploring courage, loyalty, and the cost of speaking truth to power.
Also Known As
brother risen Jeremiah protector scribe father
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