Home › Glossary › Letter Z

Zechariah

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 encouraged Temple rebuilding with apocalyptic visions

Detailed Definition
Zechariah saw horsemen, flying scrolls, and a messianic king on a donkey. In poetry, Zechariah embodies hopeful symbolism, the fusion of present labor and future glory, and the messianic thread woven through post-exilic restoration.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Luke 1:5–25, Zechariah’s doubt and song inspire George Herbert’s meditations on silence and praise; The Benedictus (Luke 1:68–79) becomes poetic refrain in Advent liturgies about dawn from on high; Contemporary poems explore Zechariah’s muteness as consequence and gift—leading to prophetic utterance; In poems about aging, Zechariah and Elizabeth embody hope beyond barrenness; Some liturgical works honor Zechariah as priest who prepared the way for John the Baptist; Educational poems cite Zechariah to teach about prophecy, doubt, and fulfillment.
Additional Notes
Zechariah appears in multiple roles: a murdered priest (2 Chronicles 24), the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1), and the author of a prophetic book filled with apocalyptic visions and messianic hope; the latter’s imagery (e.g., the pierced one, the humble king on a donkey) deeply influences New Testament theology; poets draw on Zechariah for symbolic richness, divine mystery, and eschatological longing.
Also Known As
Zechariah the Prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah Zacharias
Skip to main content