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Bethlehem

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 small town in Judea, renowned as the birthplace of Jesus and the City of David; in poetry, it evokes prophecy, humble origins, and the Christian narrative of incarnation.

Detailed Definition
Bethlehem is a small town in Judah, remembered in scripture as the birthplace of King David and, in the Christian tradition, of Jesus. Its poetic power comes from the contrast between humble scale and immense consequence: a village becomes the cradle of kingship, prophecy, and incarnation. Bethlehem can therefore symbolize an uncelebrated beginning, a light arising in obscurity, or the way history gathers around places that appear too small to bear its weight.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bethlehem can symbolize humble beginnings because Christian tradition places Jesus’s birth there; “A star leaned low above Bethlehem” uses the place to evoke sacred birth; A poet may set Bethlehem against a modern city to compare ancient hope with present hardship; “From Bethlehem’s small door, a world of mercy entered” treats the town as a symbol rather than merely a location
Additional Notes
Bethlehem is a small Judean town linked with King David and, in the New Testament, with Jesus’ birth. The name is often understood as “house of bread,” making it useful in poetry about nourishment, humble beginnings, prophecy, and kingship. It may also evoke nativity scenes and messianic expectation.
Other Meanings of “Bethlehem”
Also Known As
Ephrathah Ephrath City of David
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