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Athaliah

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 queen of Judah who seized power and attempted to eradicate the Davidic line, only to be overthrown and executed for her tyranny.

Detailed Definition
Daughter of Ahab, Athaliah seized power after her son’s death and killed royal heirs—except Joash, hidden by priests. She was later overthrown. In poetry, Athaliah embodies tyrannical ambition, the threat of idolatrous influence, and the resilience of divine promise against human schemes.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Athaliah’s usurpation (2 Kings 11) illustrates the danger of idolatrous power; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "Aurora Leigh," Athaliah symbolizes maternal perversion; In William Cowper’s hymns, Athaliah’s massacre of royal heirs warns against tyranny; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Athaliah’s fate illustrates divine justice; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Athaliah represents the corruption of worship; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Athaliah’s ambition ends in ruin.
Additional Notes
Athaliah: Queen of Judah who murdered royal heirs to seize power, later overthrown (2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 22–23). Athaliah embodies tyrannical ambition, idolatry (daughter of Ahab), and the threat to Davidic line. In poetry, she is a powerful antagonist—ideal for exploring female power gone awry, the survival of hope (Joash hidden), or the triumph of priestly resistance (Jehoiada). Her death at the temple gate is richly symbolic.
Also Known As
Athaliah queen of Judah Athaliah daughter of Ahab
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