Lexical Summary Rhama: Ramah Original Word: Ῥαμᾶ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Rama. Of Hebrew origin (Ramah); Rama (i.e. Ramah), a place in Palestine -- Rama. see HEBREW Ramah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Hebrew origin Ramah Definition Ramah, a city N. of Jer. NASB Translation Ramah (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4471: ΡαμαΡαμα (T WH Ραμα; cf. B. D. American edition under the word Topical Lexicon Name and Location Ramah, rendered Ῥαμά in the lone New Testament occurrence, lay on elevated ground in the tribal allotment of Benjamin, about five miles north of Jerusalem on the main north–south ridge route. Its very name (“height,” “hill”) testifies to its strategic vantage point over the central hill country. Old Testament Background • Administrative and Border Town – Ramah’s position made it a frontier post between Israel and Judah. King Baasha of Israel fortified it to choke Judah’s trade before King Asa dismantled the works (1 Kings 15:17-22). Jeremiah’s Lament and Promise Jeremiah 31:15: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” The matriarch Rachel, buried near Bethlehem yet ancestrally tied to Benjamin, personifies the northern tribes’ anguish as their descendants march past Ramah in chains. Yet the very next verses (Jeremiah 31:16-17) pledge divine consolation and return, framing Ramah as both place of tears and spring of hope. New Testament Fulfillment Matthew 2:17-18 cites Jeremiah after Herod’s massacre: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew relocates Jeremiah’s poetry to Bethlehem’s tragedy, portraying the families of Judea as heirs of Rachel’s grief and announcing that the Messiah, preserved from Herod’s sword, will ultimately transform mourning into joy (compare Matthew 2:15; Luke 2:25-32). Rachel, Benjamin, and Redemptive Geography Rachel’s grave near Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19) faced Ramah’s hills, uniting the birth-places of both sorrow and salvation. She was mother of Benjamin, the tribe hosting Ramah, and of Joseph, forefather to the northern tribes. Thus her symbolic cries gather the whole nation’s pain, while the presence of Jesus in the same geographic corridor guarantees the promised comfort. Theological and Pastoral Themes 1. Lament in Faith – Ramah teaches that godly sorrow is neither suppressed nor hopeless; it anticipates God’s answer (Jeremiah 31:16; Revelation 21:4). Ministry Implications • Encourage biblical lament, recognizing that honest grief coexists with unshakable hope. Key References Genesis 35:19; Judges 4:5; 1 Samuel 1:19; 1 Samuel 7:17; 1 Kings 15:17-22; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Jeremiah 40:1; Matthew 2:18; Revelation 21:4. Forms and Transliterations Ραμα Ῥαμὰ ράμμα ράμνον ράμνος ράμνου Rama Rhama RhamàLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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