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Stephen

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

First Christian martyr, stoned for preaching Christ’s divinity

Detailed Definition
Stephen, full of grace and Spirit, delivered a sweeping history of Israel before accusing leaders of resisting the Holy Spirit, then forgave his killers. In poetry, Stephen embodies bold witness unto death, the fusion of Old Testament narrative and Christological truth, and the echo of Christ’s forgiveness at the moment of martyrdom—often symbolizing the seed of the church watered by blood.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Acts 7, Stephen’s martyrdom inspires George Herbert’s “The Thanksgiving,” where steadfast witness echoes Stephen’s vision of heaven; John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet X” alludes to Stephen as first to “see the Son of Man standing”; Contemporary poems portray Stephen’s prayer—“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”—as model of radical forgiveness; In African American spirituals adapted into verse, Stephen becomes archetype of faithful witness unto death; Some liturgical laments honor Stephen on December 26 as first martyr whose blood seeded the church; Educational poems use Stephen’s speech to teach about biblical narrative and prophetic courage.
Additional Notes
Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 6–7), was a deacon full of grace and power who delivered a sweeping speech on Israel’s history before being stoned; his vision of Christ standing at God’s right hand and his prayer for his killers echo Jesus’ own Passion; Stephen’s death catalyzes the church’s dispersion and Saul’s conversion; poets use him to explore witness, sacrifice, and the birth of persecution as a crucible of faith.
Also Known As
Stephen the Protomartyr Stephen the Deacon
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