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Martha

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

Sister of Mary and Lazarus, known for service and confession of faith

Detailed Definition
Martha welcomed Jesus, worried about tasks, yet declared Him “Son of God” before Lazarus’s resurrection. Her faith blended action and orthodoxy. In poetry, Martha embodies active discipleship, the tension between service and contemplation, and the bold confession that arises in grief—often symbolizing the integration of practical love and theological clarity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Luke 10:40, Martha’s complaint—“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?”—inspires poems about active vs. contemplative life; George Herbert’s “Martha’s Complaint” reimagines her as misunderstood servant of love; Contemporary feminist poetry reclaims Martha as leader who hosted Jesus and Lazarus; In devotional verse, Martha’s confession—“You are the Christ”—is celebrated as profound faith; In poems about hospitality, Martha embodies practical care as spiritual discipline; Some liturgical works honor Martha as patron of cooks and caregivers.
Additional Notes
Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, is often contrasted with Mary for her active service versus contemplative posture (Luke 10); however, she also makes a profound confession of faith in John 11; modern readings reclaim her as a model of faithful action, useful for poems balancing doing and being, or reinterpreting traditional gender roles.
Also Known As
Martha of Bethany Martha sister of Lazarus
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