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Nicodemus

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 Pharisee in the Gospel of John who visited Jesus secretly at night and later defended Him before the Sanhedrin, symbolizing cautious faith.

Detailed Definition
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, sought Jesus secretly, later provided spices for His burial. His journey reflects cautious faith maturing in crisis. In poetry, Nicodemus embodies the seeker in darkness, the intellectual drawn to mystery, and the hidden disciple who emerges in grief—often symbolizing the slow dawn of belief in religious elites.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John 3:1–21, Nicodemus’s night visit inspires poems about seeking truth in darkness; T.S. Eliot alludes to Nicodemus in “Ash-Wednesday” as seeker of rebirth; Contemporary verse depicts Nicodemus bringing spices to Jesus’ tomb as act of courageous love; In poems about spiritual journey, Nicodemus moves from secrecy to public discipleship; Some liturgical laments honor Nicodemus as model of intellectual faith; Educational poems cite Nicodemus to explore themes of new birth and light.
Additional Notes
Nicodemus, a Pharisee who visits Jesus by night (John 3) and later assists at his burial, embodies cautious faith seeking understanding; his famous dialogue introduces the concept of being “born again”; he is a compelling figure for poems on intellectual faith, secrecy, and gradual spiritual awakening.
Also Known As
Nicodemus the Pharisee Nicodemus member of the Sanhedrin
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