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Aholibamah

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

Name meaning “my tent is in her,” used allegorically in Ezekiel for Judah’s idolatry.

Detailed Definition
In Ezekiel 23, Aholibamah symbolizes Judah’s unfaithfulness to God through alliances with foreign powers. In poetry, she represents compromised loyalty, the allure of empire, and the tragic consequences of spiritual infidelity, often contrasted with ideals of purity and devotion.
Example
Example in poetry:
Aholibamah—Esau’s wife and a Horite—fuels genealogical poetry: “From Aholibamah came chieftains of Edom, roots tangled in Canaanite soil”; A poem on mixed heritage: “Aholibamah bore sons whose names echo in the desert winds—Jeush, Jaalam, Korah”; In a feminist retelling: “They called her foreign, but Aholibamah’s womb shaped a nation”; Historical verse: “Aholibamah: not Israelite, yet inscribed in the scroll of beginnings.”
Additional Notes
Aholibamah (“my tent is in her”) is Ezekiel’s allegorical name for Judah in Ezekiel 23, depicting her as the more culpable sister who saw Samaria’s punishment yet persisted in idolatry. The name ironically suggests intimacy with God, contrasting her actual spiritual adultery. This complex personification invites poetic engagement with themes of hypocrisy, divine grief, and the moral weight of privileged knowledge.
Also Known As
Judith Oholibamah
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