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Aholah

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

Allegorical name for Samaria (Israel) in Ezekiel, meaning “her own tent,” symbolizing idolatrous worship.

Detailed Definition
Aholah and her sister Aholibamah represent the unfaithful kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In poetry, Aholah embodies spiritual adultery and the seduction of foreign gods, serving as a metaphor for betrayal, cultural assimilation, and the consequences of abandoning covenant fidelity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Aholah—symbolic name for Samaria in Ezekiel’s allegory of unfaithful sisters—appears in prophetic poetry: “Aholah played the harlot with Assyrian idols, forgetting her Bridegroom”; A modern poem on spiritual infidelity: “We are all Aholah when we trade covenant for convenience”; In a dramatic monologue: “Call me Aholah—I loved the glitter of foreign gods until it burned my eyes”; Ezekiel’s imagery inspires: “Aholah’s bed became her grave, strewn with lovers’ broken promises.”
Additional Notes
Aholah (“her tent”) is Ezekiel’s allegorical name for Samaria (Ezekiel 23:4), representing the northern kingdom’s idolatry through the metaphor of an unfaithful wife. Paired with Aholibamah (Judah), the chapter uses shocking sexual imagery to condemn syncretism with Assyrian and Canaanite cults. This prophetic allegory offers potent material for poetry exploring betrayal, national identity, and the eroticization of religious apostasy.
Also Known As
her tent Samaria allegory prophetic harlot
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