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Beatitudes

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

The nine declarations of blessedness made by Jesus in Matthew 5, defining the virtues of the Kingdom of Heaven; in poetry, they represent an ethical inversion of worldly values and a promise of divine reward.

Detailed Definition
The Beatitudes are a series of declarations beginning with “Blessed are,” honoring the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, and others who seem weak or afflicted by worldly standards. Poets use their paradoxical structure to reverse ordinary measures of success, placing grace among tears, hunger, patience, and persecution. As a poetic pattern, the Beatitudes turn hardship into a threshold, promising that hidden virtues will receive an unexpected inheritance.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem may echo the Beatitudes by blessing the poor, the meek, or the merciful; “Blessed are the quiet hands that mend the broken gate” adapts the Beatitudes into contemporary language; The Beatitudes can give a poem a rhythmic series of moral declarations; A poet might contrast the Beatitudes’ promise of comfort with a city that ignores the suffering
Additional Notes
The Beatitudes are Jesus’ declarations of blessing in Matthew 5 and Luke 6, including blessings for the poor in spirit, the merciful, and the peacemakers. Poets often use them to emphasize humility, reversal of worldly values, compassion, and hope for the oppressed. They are part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Also Known As
Blessed Sayings
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