Bible Location
Meaning: same as Ram · 17 cross references · Modern-day map available
This Ramah entry refers to the Benjaminite town north of Jerusalem, often associated with Samuel, royal conflict, and later exile imagery. It is important because it appears in the stories of the monarchy, in Jeremiah's language of lament, and in the New Testament citation linked with Rachel's weeping. First appears in Josh 18:25.1
AI summary: Among the several places called Ramah, this Benjaminite Ramah is the most prominent. It appears in royal strategy between Judah and Israel, is associated with Samuel's world, and later becomes a place of sorrow in Jeremiah's depiction of Rachel weeping for her children. Matthew then echoes that lament in connection with Bethlehem, extending Ramah's significance into the New Testament. The cross references present this Ramah as a historically important town and a powerful place of memory, grief, and political tension.1
A city first mentioned in Josh. 18:25, near Gibeah of Benjamin. It was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chr. 16:1-6). Asa, king of Judah, employed Benhadad the Syrian king to drive Baasha from this city (1 Kings 15:18, 20). Isaiah (10:29) refers to it, and also Jeremiah, who was once a prisoner there among the other captives of Jerusalem when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 39:8-12; 40:1). Rachel, whose tomb lies close to Bethlehem, is represented as weeping in Ramah (Jer. 31:15) for her slaughtered children. This prophecy is illustrated and fulfilled in the re-awakening of Rachel’s grief at the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:18). It is identified with the modern village of er-Ram, between Gibeon and Beeroth, about 5 miles due north of Jerusalem. (See SAMUEL.) 3
| Book | Cross-References |
|---|---|
| Josh | |
| Judg | |
| 1Kgs | |
| 2Chr | |
| Ezra | |
| Neh | |
| Isa | |
| Jer | |
| Hos |
Figure1: A table of cross references between the selected passage and other passages (Data from Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.)
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.