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Jairus

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

Synagogue official in the Gospels whose daughter Jesus miraculously restored to life, symbolizing faith and divine power.

Detailed Definition
Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading for his dying daughter; though she died, Jesus restored her, demonstrating power over death. His faith was tested by delay. In poetry, Jairus represents desperate parental love, the humility of religious leaders seeking divine help, and the triumph of faith over despair—often symbolizing the interruption of ritual authority by compassionate miracle.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Jairus’s plea (Mark 5) illustrates desperate faith; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Jairus symbolizes the leader who humbles himself; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Jairus’s daughter’s restoration models Christ’s power over death; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Jairus represents the petitioner who trusts in delay; In Christina Rossetti’s "Later Life," Jairus’s “do not fear, only believe” inspires hope; In T.S. Eliot’s "Four Quartets," Jairus’s house becomes a site of resurrection.
Additional Notes
Jairus: Synagogue leader whose daughter Jesus raised from the dead (Mark 5:22–43). In poetry, Jairus embodies desperate faith, the collision of religious authority and humble pleading, and the interruption of ritual by miracle. His name (“he enlightens”) contrasts with his daughter’s death—ideal for poems on parental anguish, the delay of help, or the intimacy of “Talitha koum.”
Also Known As
Jairus ruler of the synagogue Jairus father of the restored girl
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