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Ahithophel

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

Wise counselor to King David who later betrayed him by siding with Absalom

Detailed Definition
Ahithophel’s counsel was once considered “as if one consulted the word of God,” but he joined Absalom’s rebellion, advising harsh measures against David. When his advice was rejected, he hanged himself. In poetry, Ahithophel symbolizes the tragedy of brilliant minds turned to treachery and the despair that follows broken loyalty.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Ahithophel’s betrayal of David prefigures Judas’s treachery; In Alfred Tennyson’s "King David," Ahithophel’s counsel and suicide dramatize the tragedy of wisdom turned to evil; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "Aurora Leigh," Ahithophel symbolizes the corruption of intellect; In William Cowper’s hymns, Ahithophel’s despair warns against the wages of sin; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Ahithophel’s fate illustrates the danger of pride in counsel; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Ahithophel’s brilliance ends in darkness.
Additional Notes
Ahithophel: David’s counselor who betrayed him to Absalom (2 Samuel 15–17); his suicide after his counsel was rejected marks a tragic end. Ahithophel symbolizes the perils of wisdom divorced from loyalty, and his story explores the psychology of betrayal. In poetry, he is ideal for interior monologues on disillusionment, the weight of counsel, or the collapse of trust. Compare with Judas for thematic parallels.
Also Known As
Ahithophel the Gilonite Ahithophel counselor to Absalom
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