What is the significance of Ramah in the Bible?

The place where Rachel was said to be 'weeping for her children.' The prophecy is in the N.T. applied to the occasion of the massacre of the infants by Herod. Matt. 2:18. The same as RAMAH No. 1.

City of Benjamin. It was on the frontier between Judah and Israel. Baasha, king of Israel, sought to build or fortify the place against Asa, king of Judah, but this was averted by Israel being attacked by the king of Syria at the request of Asa, who sent him a rich present of gold and silver. Joshua 18:25; Judges 4:5; Judges 19:13; 1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chr. 16:1-6; Ezra 2:26; Neh. 7:30; Neh. 11:33; Isa. 10:29; Jer. 31:15; Jer. 40:1; Hosea 5:8. Called RAMA in Matt. 2:18. Identified with er Ram, 31 51 N, 35 14' E.

City of Ephraim, where Samuel the prophet dwelt. 1 Sam. 1:19; 1 Sam. 2:11; 1 Sam. 7:17; 1 Sam. 8:4; 1 Sam. 15:34; 1 Sam. 16:13; 1 Sam. 19:18-23; 1 Sam. 20:1; 1 Sam. 22:6; 1 Sam. 25:1; 1 Sam. 28:3. It is called RAMATHAIM-ZOPHIM in 1 Sam. 1:1. Not identified.

City of Benjamin, in the vicinity of Ramah and Gibeon. Joshua 18:26. It was the city to which Samuel gathered the people, as 'to the Lord,' and where he judged Israel, and where also he presented Saul to them as their king. 1 Sam. 7:5-16; 1 Sam. 10:17. The city was rebuilt by Asa king of Judah, and, after the destruction of Jerusalem, Gedaliah the governor established himself there. 1 Kings 15:22; 2 Kings 25:23, 25; 2 Chr. 16:6; Jer. 40:6-15; Jer. 41:1-16; Hosea 5:1. Probably the same place is alluded to in Neh. 3:7, 15, 19. Identified by some with Neby Samwil, 31 50' N, 35 10' E.

Ramah means heights. It was evidently an elevated place and suggests the theme of heavenly truth. It is important not to avoid this as if it were ‘advanced’ truth. It involves a knowledge of and a contemplation of Christ where He now is. And this is the privilege of every believer.

Samuel lived in Ramah, which means "heights." There, "above the restless world that wars below," he built an altar for himself, where he enjoyed hallowed communion with Jehovah. It was as if patriarchal conditions had returned (Gen. 12:7: Gen. 26:25). From Ramah, Samuel went forth from time to time instructing and doing justice amongst the people of God, helping to put things right here and there as opportunity offered. But where was the priest, whose moral responsibilities are so plainly shown in Leviticus 10:8-11; Malachi 2:7? He is omitted from the record as though he had no existence.

The cities of Israel were restored. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel judged Israel at Ramah and built an altar there. All this is an exceptional and extraordinary position for Israel, in which they depended entirely on Samuel, who, while living himself as a patriarch, as though there were no tabernacle, becomes, through his own relationship with God, by faith, the support and upholder of the people, who in fact had no other.

Finally, his return was to Ramah, meaning "height," where was his proper dwelling, as it should be for us too, for it speaks of our position "in Christ" far above the level of earth, as seated "in the heavenlies" (Eph.2:6), our true sphere of life and blessing. Typically, Samuel was making true practically for himself the reality of what was true doctrinally. May we be more like him in this regard. There he built an altar to the Lord, the symbol of a vital relationship to God based on the value of Christ's sacrifice.

The going down into Egypt, then, was that Scripture might be fulfilled, and the next thing we read is that Herod sends out his bloody edict that another Scripture might be fulfilled. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "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" (Matt. 2:16-18; Jer. 31:15). Why Rachel's voice? While Bethlehem belonged to the tribe of Judah, Benjamin was next to them; and you recollect Benjamin was Rachel's son. Bethlehem is first mentioned in connection with Rachel's death (Gen. 35:16-20), and her sepulchre was "in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah" (1 Sam. 10:2). This bit of land, belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, dipped down into the land of Judah; and about a mile north of Bethlehem, on the main road from Jerusalem and Bethel, the site of her tomb is marked by a little building to this day. Herod was so determined to sweep the coast clear, that not only in Bethlehem, but in "the coasts thereof," i.e., the parts of Benjamin just alluded to, were the children slain.

The quotation from Jeremiah is a remarkable application of Old Testament Scripture. Rachel had been dead for centuries and centuries, but the Spirit of God puts it in this remarkable way, as if her spirit had risen from the dead; and in connection with this fearful slaughter of so many of her own children, as well as the murdered infants of the tribe of Judah, Rachel's voice is lifted up in weeping, and her cries of sorrow are heard even in Ramah, the chief town of Benjamin. It is highly interesting to see how one passage of Scripture interprets another, and is interwoven with all Scripture. We should not have expected Rachel to meet us here, but, as I said before, Bethlehem was the place where she died. There also her children died, just because it was the spot where her Saviour and theirs, and thank God, my Saviour, was born. Is He your Saviour? If He is, we shall both thank God for Bethlehem by-and-by.

In this chapter occurs the well-known scripture which is applied to Herod's destruction of the innocents, as they are called, at Bethlehem. "Thus says Jehovah; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were not" (verse 15). It is beautiful to see that the Holy Spirit (Matt. 2:17-18) applies to that event the passage about sorrow but not that about joy. Here is what follows: "Thus says Jehovah; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, says Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy" (verse 16).

We need not repeat the tale of Joseph's birth, and of the remarkable utterance of his mother with the name given and the anticipation of the one, who was to be son not of her Sorrow only but of her death. In Jer. 31:15-17 is a very touching reference to Rachel and a connection with the affliction of "her children" in the day of the captivity to Babylon, but looking to the blessed time of gracious reprisal when Jehovah will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. "Thus saith Jehovah, A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, bitter weeping: Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are not. Thus saith Jehovah, Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears; for thy work hath a reward, saith Jehovah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for thy latter end, saith Jehovah, and thy children shall come again to their own border." Between the prophecy and its fulfilment in the coming days of Israel's restoration and national blessing, it is applied to the murderous onslaught, in vain meant for Jesus, which Herod brought on all the boys from two years and under that were in Bethlehem and in all its borders. In all their affliction was He afflicted, though exempted from that blow for the anguish of His rejection unto death, under the hatred of His own people and the infinitely deeper suffering in atonement at God's hand for their sins, and ours.

Verses 15-21. Rachel weeping for her children (verse 15) is quoted in Matthew 2 in connection with the killing of the boys in Bethlehem. It has also a future fulfillment, when once more Satan will manifest his power as the murderer during the tribulation. But the promise, "They shall come again from the land of the enemy" and "Thy children shall come again to their own border," clearly shows that captivity is likewise meant from which Rachel's children (Joseph and Benjamin, i.e., Ephraim) shall return after the final tribulation and weeping. Physical resurrection is not in view here. Therefore, the next verse speaks of Ephraim moaning and in repentance. Then God's gracious answer "Is Ephraim my dear son?--I will surely have mercy upon him."