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Nathanael

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

Disciple of Jesus, possibly the same as Bartholomew, known for his honesty

Detailed Definition
Nathanael, from Cana, was called by Philip and praised by Jesus as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:45–51). In poetry, Nathanael symbolizes guileless faith, the openness to divine revelation, and how skepticism can transform into profound confession under grace.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John 1:47, Jesus calls Nathanael “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”—a line echoed in George Herbert’s poems on sincerity; Contemporary devotional poetry depicts Nathanael under the fig tree as moment of divine insight; In poems about skepticism, Nathanael’s doubt transforms into confession: “You are the Son of God”; Some liturgical works honor Nathanael as model of transparent faith; Educational poems cite Nathanael to explore themes of revelation and recognition; Modern verse imagines Nathanael’s later ministry as apostle Bartholomew.
Additional Notes
Nathanael (possibly Bartholomew) is noted in John 1 for his honesty and immediate recognition of Jesus as the Son of God; Jesus praises him as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”; his character offers a model of sincerity and openness to revelation—ideal for poems on authenticity and spiritual insight.
Also Known As
Nathanael of Cana Nathanael the Israelite Bartholomew
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