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Cleopas

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

One of the two disciples who encountered the resurrected Jesus during the journey to Emmaus, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke.

Detailed Definition
Cleopas, joined by another, failed to recognize the risen Christ until He broke bread. Their encounter reveals Jesus’ presence in Scripture and sacrament. In poetry, Cleopas represents the journey from despair to recognition, the hidden Christ who walks with the grieving, and the moment of revelation that transforms doubt into worship—often evoking pilgrimage and epiphany.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Cleopas’s journey to Emmaus (Luke 24) illustrates recognition of Christ in Scripture; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Cleopas’s eyes opened at the table model revelation; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Cleopas symbolizes the seeker who finds; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Cleopas represents the pilgrim of faith; In Christina Rossetti’s "Advent," Cleopas’s road becomes a path of discovery; In T.S. Eliot’s "Four Quartets," Cleopas’s experience prefigures the intersection of time and eternity.
Additional Notes
Cleopas: Disciple who walked with Jesus to Emmaus (Luke 24:18); possibly Clopas (John 19:25). In poetry, Cleopas embodies the journey of disillusionment to recognition—ideal for poems on hidden Christ, scriptural illumination, or the eucharistic moment (“he was known in the breaking of bread”). His anonymity invites every reader to see themselves on the road to Emmaus.
Also Known As
Cleopas of Emmaus Clopas
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