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Sarepta

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 Sidonian town where Elijah was fed by a widow during a famine.

Detailed Definition
Sarepta (1 Kings 17) exemplifies Gentile faith and divine provision beyond Israel. In poetry, it symbolizes unexpected grace, the dignity of widows, and the universality of prophetic care, often used to challenge parochial notions of election.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sarepta—Zarephath, where Elijah stayed with a widow—fuels provision poetry: “In Sarepta, flour and oil defied famine by faith”; A modern poem: “My Sarepta is the moment I share my last meal—and find abundance”; In a sonnet on Gentile faith: “Jesus praised Sarepta’s widow—her trust shamed Israel”; Liturgical verse: “Blessed Sarepta, where a foreigner fed the prophet of God.”
Additional Notes
Sarepta (Zarephath in Hebrew; 1 Kings 17:9–24) is a Sidonian town where Elijah was sustained by a widow during famine, and where he resurrected her son—miracles affirming YHWH’s sovereignty beyond Israel. Jesus references this story to provoke his Nazareth audience (Luke 4:26). In poetry, Sarepta symbolizes cross-border grace, the faith of outsiders, and divine provision in scarcity—ideal for exploring hospitality, gender, and the universality of prophetic power in unexpected places.
Also Known As
Zarephath
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