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Shemaiah

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

Prophet who warned Rehoboam not to fight against Jeroboam’s Israel

Detailed Definition
Shemaiah delivered God’s word halting civil war, preserving Judah from further division. He also rebuked the nation for idolatry during Rehoboam’s reign. In poetry, Shemaiah embodies the restraining voice of prophecy, the prevention of fratricidal conflict, and the call to national humility—often symbolizing the divine brake on human vengeance and the priority of unity under judgment.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Nehemiah 6:10, Shemaiah’s warning inspires poetry about discernment amid deception; 19th-century verse questions Shemaiah’s loyalty—true prophet or hired agent?; Contemporary poems explore Shemaiah as case study in spiritual warfare; In poems about testing spirits, Shemaiah becomes cautionary figure; Some liturgical laments contrast Shemaiah’s fear with Nehemiah’s courage; Educational poems cite Shemaiah to teach about false counsel.
Additional Notes
Shemaiah appears multiple times—as a prophet who restrained Rehoboam from war (2 Chronicles 11), a Levite, and others; context is key; generally, the name means “Yahweh has heard,” making it a theophoric reminder of divine attentiveness—ideal for poems on answered prayer or prophetic restraint.
Also Known As
Shemaiah the Prophet Shemaiah the Man of God
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