Home › Glossary › Letter B

Baasha

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

King of Israel who overthrew Nadab and continued Jeroboam’s idolatrous policies

Detailed Definition
Baasha assassinated Nadab, son of Jeroboam, and ruled Israel for 24 years, maintaining calf worship and provoking prophetic condemnation. His dynasty was later wiped out as divine judgment. In poetry, Baasha symbolizes the cyclical nature of tyranny, the futility of power built on violence, and the inevitability of divine reckoning.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Baasha’s dynasty (1 Kings 15–16) illustrates the instability of usurpation; In William Cowper’s hymns, Baasha’s judgment warns against building on blood; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Drama of Exile," Baasha symbolizes the cycle of violence; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Baasha’s fate illustrates divine retribution; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Baasha represents the futility of earthly ambition; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Baasha’s house is swept away.
Additional Notes
Baasha: King of Israel who assassinated Nadab and ruled wickedly (1 Kings 15–16); his dynasty was prophesied to fall like Jeroboam’s. In poetry, Baasha represents the cyclical nature of tyranny and divine judgment. His fortification of Ramah against Judah (1 Kings 15:17) and Asa’s countermove with Ben-hadad illustrate geopolitical maneuvering—useful in poems on power, strategy, or the futility of human schemes against prophecy.
Also Known As
Baasha king of Israel Baasha son of Ahijah
Skip to main content