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Eli

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

Priest and judge whose sons’ corruption led to divine judgment

Detailed Definition
Eli raised Samuel but failed to restrain his wicked sons, resulting in the Ark’s capture and his own death. His story warns of negligent leadership. In poetry, Eli embodies tragic paternal failure, the weight of spiritual authority, and the transition from priestly to prophetic eras.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Eli’s failure with his sons (1 Samuel 2–4) illustrates the cost of permissiveness; In Alfred Tennyson’s "King David," Eli’s death marks the end of an era; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Drama of Exile," Eli symbolizes aged authority in decline; In William Cowper’s hymns, Eli’s judgment warns against neglecting discipline; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Eli’s fall illustrates the danger of complacency; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Eli’s broken neck prefigures the collapse of old orders.
Additional Notes
Eli: Priest and judge who raised Samuel; his sons’ corruption led to judgment (1 Samuel 1–4). In poetry, Eli embodies failed leadership, the sorrow of legacy corrupted, and the transition from priestly to prophetic authority. His death upon hearing the ark’s capture (1 Sam 4:18) is tragic—ideal for poems on institutional decline, paternal grief, or the weight of divine warning unheeded.
Also Known As
Eli the Priest Eli of Shiloh
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