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Kirjath-jearim

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

A city where the Ark of the Covenant resided for twenty years before David’s reign.

Detailed Definition
Kirjath-jearim (1 Samuel 7) guarded the Ark in obscurity. In poetry, it symbolizes patient waiting, the hidden presence of the holy, and the quiet towns that steward sacred mysteries until their time of revelation.
Example
Example in poetry:
Kirjath-jearim—town where ark stayed—fuels waiting poetry: “Twenty years the ark dwelt in Kirjath-jearim, silent but sovereign”; A modern poem: “My Kirjath-jearim is the season where God seems present but inactive”; In a minimalist verse: “Kirjath-jearim: city of the ark’s sojourn”; Liturgical reflection: “Blessed Kirjath-jearim, where Israel learned to wait.”
Additional Notes
Kirjath-jearim (“city of forests,” Joshua 9:17) housed the Ark for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:1–2) before David moved it. Its long custodianship by the Abinadab family underscores reverence for the sacred. In poetry, Kirjath-jearim symbolizes patient waiting, the hidden presence of God, and the transition from obscurity to centrality in worship.
Also Known As
Kiriath-jearim Kirjath-baal Baalah
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