Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: Matthew 2:18 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Mt 2:18 |
Strong Concordance |
In [1722] Rama [4471] was there [191] a voice [5456] heard [191], lamentation [2355], and [2532] weeping [2805], and [2532] great [4183] mourning [3602], Rachel [4478] weeping [2799] for her [846] children [5043], and [2532] would [2309] not [3756] be comforted [3870], because [3754] they are [1526] not [3756]. |
| |
King James |
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not--These words, as they stand in Jeremiah, undoubtedly relate to the Babylonish captivity. Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, was buried in the neighborhood of Bethlehem (Gen 35:19), where her sepulchre is still shown. She is figuratively represented as rising from the tomb and uttering a double lament for the loss of her children--first, by a bitter captivity, and now by a bloody death. And a foul deed it was. O ye mothers of Bethlehem! methinks I hear you asking why your innocent babes should be the ram caught in the thicket, while Isaac escapes. I cannot tell you, but one thing I know, that ye shall, some of you, live to see a day when that Babe of Bethlehem shall be Himself the Ram, caught in another sort of thicket, in order that your babes may escape a worse doom than they now endure. And if these babes of yours be now in glory, through the dear might of that blessed Babe, will they not deem it their honor that the tyrant's rage was exhausted upon themselves instead of their infant Lord? |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
In Rama was there a voice heard - Rama was a small town in the tribe of Benjamin. Rachel was the mother of Benjamin, and was buried near to Bethlehem, Gen 35:16-19. Rama was about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem, near Bethel, and was some 10 or 12 miles from Bethlehem. The name Rama signifies an eminence, and was given to the town because it was situated on a hill. Rama is commonly supposed to be the same as the Arimarthea of the New Testament the place where Joseph lived who begged the body of Jesus. See Mat 27:57. This is also the same place in which Samuel was born, where he resided, died. and was buried, and where he anointed Saul as king, Sa1 1:1, Sa1 1:19; Sa1 2:11; Sa1 8:4; Sa1 19:18; Sa1 25:1. Mr. King, an American missionary, was at Rama - now called Romba - in 1824; and Mr. Whiting, another American missionary, was there in 1835. Mr. Whiting says: "The situation is exceedingly beautiful. It is about two hours distant from Jerusalem to the northwest, on an eminence commanding a view of a wide extent of beautiful diversified country. Hills, plains, and valleys, highly cultivated fields of wheat and barley, vineyards and oliveyards, are spread out before you as on a map, and numerous villages are scattered here and there over the whole view. To the west and northwest, beyond the hill-country, appears the vast plain of Sharon, and further still you look out upon the great and wide sea. It occurred to me as not improbable that in the days of David and Solomon this place may have been a favorite retreat during the heat of summer, and that here the former may have often struck his sacred lyre. Some of the Psalms, or at least one of them (see Psa 104:25, seem to have been composed in some place which commanded a view of the Mediterranean; and this is the only place, I believe, in the vicinity of Jerusalem that affords such a view."
Rama was once a strongly fortified city, but there is no city here at present. A half-ruined Muslim mosque, which was originally a Christian church, stands over the tomb of the prophet; besides which, a few miserable dwellings are the only buildings that remain on this once-celebrated spot. Compare the notes at Isa 10:29. The tomb of Rachel, which is supposed to mark the precise spot where Rachel was buried (compare Gen 35:18-20; Gen 48:7), is near to Bethlehem, and she is represented as rising and weeping again over her children. "The tomb is a plain Saracenic mausoleum, having no claims to antiquity in its present form, but deeply interesting in sacred associations; for, by the singular consent of all authorities in such questions, it marks the actual site of her grave." - The Land and the Book, vol. ii. 501.
By a beautiful figure of speech, the prophet introduces the mother weeping over the tribe, her children, and with them weeping over the fallen destiny of Israel, and over the calamities about te come upon the land. Few images could be more striking than thus to introduce a mother, long dead, whose sepulchre was near, weeping bitterly over the terrible calamities that befell her descendants. The language and the image also aptly and beautifully expressed the sorrows of the mothers in Bethlehem when Herod slew their infant children. Under the cruelty of the tyrant almost every family was a family of tears, and well might there be lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning.
We may remark here that the sacred writers were cautious of speaking of the characters of wicked people. Here was one of the worst men in the world, committing one of the most awful crimes, and yet there is not a single mark of exclamation; there is not a single reference to any other part of his conduct; there is nothing that could lead to the knowledge that his character in other respects was not upright. There is no wanton and malignant dragging him into the narrative that they might gratify malice in making free with a very bad character. What was to their purpose, they recorded; what was not, they left to others. This is the nature of religion. It does not speak evil of others except when necessary, nor then does it take pleasure in it. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Rachel weeping for her children - The Benjamites, who inhabited Rama, sprung from her. She was buried near this place; and is here beautifully represented risen, as it were out of her grave, and bewailing her lost children. Because they are not - that is, are dead. The preservation of Jesus from this destruction, may be considered as a figure of God's care over his children in their greatest danger. God does not often, as he easily could, cut off their persecutors at a stroke. But he provides a hiding place for his people, and by methods not less effectual, though less pompous, preserves them from being swept away, even when the enemy comes in like a flood. Jer 31:15. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| In Rama was there a voice heard - These words, quoted from Jer 31:15, were originally spoken concerning the captivity of the ten tribes; but are here elegantly applied to the murder of the innocents at Bethlehem. As if he had said, Bethlehem at this time resembled Rama; for as Rachel might be said to weep over her children, which were slaughtered or gone into captivity; so in Bethlehem, the mothers lamented bitterly their children, because they were slain. The word θρηνος, lamentation is omitted by the Codd. Vatic. Cypr. one of Selden's MSS. the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, Ethiopic, all the Itala, (except that in the Cod. Bezae), Vulgate, and Saxon, several of the fathers, and above all Jeremiah, Jer 31:15, from which it is quoted. Griesbach leaves it in the text with a note of doubtfulness. This mourning may refer to cases far from uncommon in the east, where all the children have been massacred. The lamentations of a Hindoo mother for her child are loud and piercing; and it is almost impossible to conceive of a scene more truly heart-rending than that of a whole town of such mothers wailing over their massacred children. See Ward. |
19 And Rachel [07354] died [04191], and was buried [06912] in the way [01870] to Ephrath [0672], which is Bethlehem [01035].
7 And as for me, when I came [0935] from Padan [06307], Rachel [07354] died [04191] by me in the land [0776] of Canaan [03667] in the way [01870], when [05750] yet there was but a little [03530] way [0776] to come [0935] unto Ephrath [0672]: and I buried her [06912] there in the way [01870] of Ephrath [0672]; the same is Bethlehem [01035].
18 And it came to pass, as her soul [05315] was in departing [03318], (for she died [04191] that she called [07121] his name [08034] Benoni [01126]: but his father [01] called [07121] him Benjamin [01144].
19 And Rachel [07354] died [04191], and was buried [06912] in the way [01870] to Ephrath [0672], which is Bethlehem [01035].
20 And Jacob [03290] set [05324] a pillar [04676] upon her grave [06900]: that is the pillar [04678] of Rachel's [07354] grave [06900] unto this day [03117].
29 They are gone over [05674] the passage [04569]: they have taken up their lodging [04411] at Geba [01387]; Ramah [07414] is afraid [02729]; Gibeah [01390] of Saul [07586] is fled [05127].
25 So is this great [01419] and wide [07342] [03027] sea [03220], wherein are things creeping [07431] innumerable [04557], both small [06996] and great [01419] beasts [02416].
1 And Samuel [08050] died [04191]; and all the Israelites [03478] were gathered together [06908], and lamented [05594] him, and buried [06912] him in his house [01004] at Ramah [07414]. And David [01732] arose [06965], and went down [03381] to the wilderness [04057] of Paran [06290].
18 So David [01732] fled [01272], and escaped [04422], and came [0935] to Samuel [08050] to Ramah [07414], and told [05046] him all that Saul [07586] had done [06213] to him. And he and Samuel [08050] went [03212] and dwelt [03427] in Naioth [05121].
4 Then all the elders [02205] of Israel [03478] gathered themselves together [06908], and came [0935] to Samuel [08050] unto Ramah [07414],
11 And Elkanah [0511] went [03212] to Ramah [07414] to his house [01004]. And the child [05288] did [01961] minister [08334] unto the LORD [03068] before [06440] Eli [05941] the priest [03548].
19 And they rose up [07925] in the morning [01242] early [07925], and worshipped [07812] before [06440] the LORD [03068], and returned [07725], and came [0935] to their house [01004] to Ramah [07414]: and Elkanah [0511] knew [03045] Hannah [02584] his wife [0802]; and the LORD [03068] remembered [02142] her.
1 Now there was a certain [0259] man [0376] of Ramathaimzophim [07436], of mount [02022] Ephraim [0669], and his name [08034] was Elkanah [0511], the son [01121] of Jeroham [03395], the son [01121] of Elihu [0453], the son [01121] of Tohu [08459], the son [01121] of Zuph [06689], an Ephrathite [0673]:
57 When [1161] the even [3798] was come [1096], there came [2064] a rich [4145] man [444] of [575] Arimathaea [707], named [5122] Joseph [2501], who [3739] also [2532] himself [846] was [3100] Jesus [2424]' disciple [3100]:
16 And they journeyed [05265] from Bethel [01008]; and there was but [05750] a little [03530] way [0776] to come [0935] to Ephrath [0672]: and Rachel [07354] travailed [03205], and she had hard [07185] labour [03205].
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard [07185] labour [03205], that the midwife [03205] said [0559] unto her, Fear [03372] not; thou shalt have this son [01121] also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul [05315] was in departing [03318], (for she died [04191] that she called [07121] his name [08034] Benoni [01126]: but his father [01] called [07121] him Benjamin [01144].
19 And Rachel [07354] died [04191], and was buried [06912] in the way [01870] to Ephrath [0672], which is Bethlehem [01035].
15 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068]; A voice [06963] was heard [08085] in Ramah [07414], lamentation [05092], and bitter [08563] weeping [01065]; Rahel [07354] weeping [01058] for her children [01121] refused [03985] to be comforted [05162] for her children [01121], because they were not.
15 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068]; A voice [06963] was heard [08085] in Ramah [07414], lamentation [05092], and bitter [08563] weeping [01065]; Rahel [07354] weeping [01058] for her children [01121] refused [03985] to be comforted [05162] for her children [01121], because they were not.
15 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068]; A voice [06963] was heard [08085] in Ramah [07414], lamentation [05092], and bitter [08563] weeping [01065]; Rahel [07354] weeping [01058] for her children [01121] refused [03985] to be comforted [05162] for her children [01121], because they were not.