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Josiah

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

The righteous king of Judah who instituted sweeping religious reforms after the rediscovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple (2 Kings 22–23).

Detailed Definition
Josiah’s Passover revival and covenant renewal delayed judgment. He died fighting Pharaoh. In poetry, Josiah represents youthful zeal, the power of rediscovered scripture, and the bittersweet hope of reform cut short by fate.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 22–23) illustrate revival through Scripture; In William Cowper’s hymns, Josiah’s discovery of the Law celebrates rediscovery of truth; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Josiah symbolizes the young king who turns to God; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Josiah’s covenant models national repentance; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Josiah represents the reformer who dies too soon; In Christina Rossetti’s "Later Life," Josiah’s Passover prefigures true worship.
Additional Notes
Josiah: King who found the Book of the Law and enacted sweeping reforms (2 Kings 22–23). In poetry, Josiah embodies youthful devotion, scriptural rediscovery, and the tragedy of early death in battle. His Passover (2 Kings 23:21–23) is unparalleled—ideal for poems on revival, the power of text, or the fragility of reform in a doomed nation.
Also Known As
Josiah king of Judah Josiah son of Amon
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