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Mount Sinai

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 mountain where Moses receives the law and encounters God's presence.

Detailed Definition
Mount Sinai is the wilderness mountain associated with Moses' encounter with God, the giving of the commandments, thunder, fire, cloud, and covenant. In poetry, it represents revelation that overwhelms as much as it instructs. The mountain may be an inner height where conscience is received, or a place where a people gains identity through difficult obligation. Its imagery joins solitude and community: one figure climbs into blazing mystery, then descends carrying words that will govern many lives.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may describe Mount Sinai as a peak wrapped in thunder where divine law is revealed; Mount Sinai can symbolize a difficult climb toward moral understanding; A poem may place a solitary speaker beneath Sinai’s fire and cloud to suggest awe; An allusion to Mount Sinai can connect a personal promise with the giving of sacred commandments
Additional Notes
Mount Sinai, also called Horeb in some passages, is where Moses encounters God in the burning bush tradition and later receives the covenant law. Its imagery suggests thunder, fire, cloud, awe, revelation, and sacred obligation. Poets may use Sinai to represent a meeting between heaven and earth.
Also Known As
Sinai Horeb Jebel Musa Mountain
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