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Kibroth-hattaavah

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

Kibroth-hattaavah is the wilderness place named for graves of craving.

Detailed Definition
At Kibroth-hattaavah, the Israelites crave meat, complain about the manna, and suffer after quail arrive in abundance. The name, meaning graves of craving, turns appetite into geography and gives desire a burial ground. Poets may invoke it for excess that becomes punishment, the peril of confusing need with endless wanting, or the place within the self where appetite outlives satisfaction.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may use “Kibroth-hattaavah,” the graves of craving, as an image of desire consuming those who obey it; In a poem about addiction, the speaker might call each indulgence a road to Kibroth-hattaavah; The difficult name can slow the poem and make its warning feel solemn and ancient; A poet may contrast wilderness hunger with spiritual discipline through this biblical place-name.
Additional Notes
Kibroth-hattaavah means “graves of craving” or “graves of lust.” In Numbers 11, the Israelites complain about the lack of meat, and God provides quail, but their craving and complaint bring judgment; the place receives its memorable name from the deaths there. The term is useful in poetry as a warning about discontent, excess desire, and the spiritual danger of longing without gratitude.
Also Known As
Graves of Craving Graves of Lust
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