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Corban

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

Corban: A Hebrew term for an offering or gift dedicated to God, mentioned in the New Testament as a practice that could be misused to evade obligations to family, highlighting conflicts between religious ritual and moral duty.

Detailed Definition
Corban refers to something dedicated to God, and in the Gospels the term appears in a dispute over vows that could be used to evade support for parents. The word therefore carries a tension between genuine devotion and religious language manipulated for self-interest. In poetry, Corban can name any offering whose holiness is questioned by its human cost, asking whether piety without mercy remains sacred.
Example
Example in poetry:
Corban is a gift or offering devoted to God, a term discussed in the Gospels during a debate about religious obligation.; A poet might write, “My grief became Corban, an offering no hand could reclaim” to portray sorrow as consecrated.; The term can explore the conflict between outward ritual and duties owed to living people.; “He named his hoarded wealth Corban, but mercy asked a different price” uses the biblical idea as ethical criticism.
Additional Notes
Corban is a vow or declaration that something is devoted to God. In Mark 7, Jesus criticizes the misuse of corban when a religious declaration allows people to avoid supporting their parents. The term is therefore important for understanding the tension between ritual claims, human responsibility, and the spirit of the law.
Also Known As
Korban Qorban
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