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Jeroboam

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

First king of the northern kingdom of Israel who established idolatrous calf worship

Detailed Definition
Jeroboam, once a capable administrator under Solomon, led the ten tribes in rebellion but instituted golden calves at Bethel and Dan to prevent pilgrimage to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12). In poetry, Jeroboam represents the tragic misuse of leadership, the invention of convenient religion, and how fear of losing power corrupts spiritual integrity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Jeroboam’s golden calves (1 Kings 12) illustrate the origin of national idolatry; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Jeroboam symbolizes the leader who divides for power; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Jeroboam’s hand withered warns against opposing true worship; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Jeroboam represents the founder of false religion; In Christina Rossetti’s "The World," Jeroboam’s calves prefigure modern idolatries; In T.S. Eliot’s "The Waste Land," Jeroboam’s Bethel echoes in broken worship.
Additional Notes
Jeroboam: First king of northern Israel; instituted golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12). In poetry, Jeroboam symbolizes the sin of political religion, the creation of alternative worship, and the long shadow of founding errors (“the sins of Jeroboam”). His hand withered and restored (1 Kings 13) shows divine warning—ideal for poems on idolatry, leadership failure, or the institutionalization of compromise.
Other Meanings of “Jeroboam”
Also Known As
Jeroboam king of Israel Jeroboam son of Nebat
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