Lexical Summary Ramah: Ramah Original Word: רָמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ramah The same as ramah; Ramah, the name of four places in Palestine -- Ramah. see HEBREW ramah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rum Definition "height," the name of several places in Isr. NASB Translation Ramah (35). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. רָמָה proper name, of a location usually with article ׳הָר the Height, Rama, הָרָמָה (except Jeremiah 31:15; Nehemiah 11:33): 1 in Benjamin, on border of Ephraim, Hosea 5:8; 1 Kings 15:17,21,22 2Chronicles 16:1,5,6; Judges 4:5; Judges 19:3; Isaiah 10:29; Jeremiah 31:15; Jeremiah 40:1; Joshua 18:25 (P), Ezra 2:26 = Nehemiah 7:30, probably also Nehemiah 11:33; ᵐ5 usually Ραμα; modern er-Râm, 5 miles north of Jerusalem, BuhlGeogr. 172. 2 in hill-country of Ephraim (= 1?), home of Samuel 1 Samuel 1:19; 1 Samuel 2:11; 1 Samuel 7:17; 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 15:34; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Samuel 19:18,22a (all with ה locative, הָרָמָָ֫חָה), 1 Samuel 19:19; 1 Samuel 19:22 b; 1 Samuel 19:23; 1 Samuel 19:23; 1 Samuel 20:1; 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Samuel 28:3, = הָרָמָתַיִם 1 Samuel 1:1 (see צוּפִי); ᵐ5 Αρμαθαιμ, Ραμα; perhaps (if distinct from 1) = Besit-Rima, 13 miles east-northeast of Lydda (GASmGeogr. 254 BuhlGeogr. 170); or Râm-allah, 3 miles southwest of Bethel (EwHist. ii. 421 and others) [compare also Ἀριμαθαμα; Matthew 27:57 +]. 3 in Asher Joshua 19:29 (P), Ραμα; perhaps Râmiye, approximately 12 miles east of Ladder of Tyre RobBR iii. 79 BuhlGeogr. 231. 4 in Naphtali, Joshua 19:36 (P), Αραηλ, A ᵐ5L Ραμα; modern Râmeh, approximately 8 miles west-southwest of Safed BuhlGeogr. 222. 5 (בּ)רָמָה 2 Kings 8:29 2Chronicles 22:6 Ρεμμωθ, Ραμωθ; ᵐ5L Ραμαθ Γαλ.), see רָמוֺת 1 — See DrHast. DB. RAMAH p. 847. רָמָתַיִם proper name, of a location ׳הָר 1 Samuel 1:1, see II.רָמָה 2 above Topical Lexicon Overview Ramah (“height”) designates several elevated towns in Scripture, appearing thirty-six times. Each occurrence highlights the strategic or spiritual prominence of these sites in Israel’s history. Geographical Locations 1. Ramah of Benjamin – Five miles north of Jerusalem on the main ridge road. Referenced from Joshua 18:25 through the post-exilic era; repeatedly a military and prophetic stage (1 Kings 15:17; Jeremiah 40:1). Ramah in the Period of the Judges Deborah judged Israel “between Ramah and Bethel” (Judges 4:5), and the Levite of Judges 19 turned aside there—evidence of Ramah’s accessibility and civic role in an otherwise fragmented era. Ramah in the Ministry of Samuel Elkanah and Hannah lived at Ramah (1 Samuel 2:11). Samuel built an altar there and made it the base for his national circuit (7:17). Israel’s elders came to Ramah to demand a king (8:4); David fled there for prophetic shelter (19:18-23). The Spirit’s overpowering of Saul at Naioth in Ramah underscores God’s sovereignty over political power. Ramah in the Divided Kingdom Because Ramah straddled Judah’s northern approach, Baasha of Israel fortified it to throttle Judah (1 Kings 15:17). Asa dismantled the blockade, turning its materials into defenses for Geba and Mizpah (15:22; 2 Chronicles 16:1-6). Ramah’s control thus influenced worship traffic to Jerusalem. Prophetic Voices from Ramah Hosea 5:8 pictures judgment sweeping through Ramah; Isaiah 10:29 narrates Assyrian terror reaching its gates. Jeremiah 31:15 speaks of Rachel weeping in Ramah for exiled children—grief later echoed in Matthew 2:18 after Herod’s massacre. Ramah and the Babylonian Exile Nebuzaradan assembled captives there; Jeremiah himself was released from chains at Ramah (Jeremiah 40:1). The town became the last homeland view for many deportees, making Jeremiah’s lament profoundly literal. Post-Exilic Resettlement Returnees from “Ramah and Geba” (Ezra 2:26; Nehemiah 7:30) and later Benjaminites in “Hazor, Ramah, and Gittaim” (Nehemiah 11:33) fulfill the promise that children would come back from “the land of the enemy” (Jeremiah 31:16). New Testament Echo Matthew applies Rachel’s weeping to the Bethlehem tragedy (Matthew 2:18), showing how Ramah’s sorrow culminates in messianic hope as Jesus emerges to redeem. Theological and Ministry Reflections • Heights remind believers that God often works from places of vantage—militarily, judicially, prophetically. Key References Joshua 18:25; 19:29, 36 Judges 4:5; 19:13 1 Samuel 1:19; 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 19:18-23 Jeremiah 31:15; 40:1 Nehemiah 7:30; 11:33 Forms and Transliterations בְּרָמָ֤ה בָּֽרָמָ֔ה בָּרָמָ֑ה בָּרָמָֽה׃ בָֽרָמָ֔ה בָרָמָ֖ה בָרָמָֽה׃ ברמה ברמה׃ הָֽרָמָ֑ה הָֽרָמָ֔ה הָֽרָמָה֙ הָרָמָ֑ה הָרָמָ֑תָה הָרָמָ֔תָה הָרָמָ֖תָה הָרָמָ֗תָה הָרָמָ֙תָה֙ הָרָמָ֛ה הָרָמָֽתָה׃ הָרָמָה֙ הרמה הרמתה הרמתה׃ וְהָֽרָמָ֖ה וְהָרָמָ֖ה והרמה רָ֣אמַת רָמָ֖ה ראמת רמה bā·rā·māh ḇā·rā·māh baraMah bārāmāh ḇārāmāh bə·rā·māh beraMah bərāmāh hā·rā·mā·ṯāh hā·rā·māh haraMah hārāmāh haraMatah hārāmāṯāh rā·māh rā·maṯ raMah rāmāh Ramat rāmaṯ varaMah veharaMah wə·hā·rā·māh wəhārāmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 18:25 HEB: גִּבְע֥וֹן וְהָֽרָמָ֖ה וּבְאֵרֽוֹת׃ NAS: Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, KJV: Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, INT: Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth Joshua 19:8 Joshua 19:29 Joshua 19:36 Judges 4:5 Judges 19:13 1 Samuel 1:19 1 Samuel 2:11 1 Samuel 7:17 1 Samuel 8:4 1 Samuel 15:34 1 Samuel 16:13 1 Samuel 19:18 1 Samuel 19:19 1 Samuel 19:22 1 Samuel 19:22 1 Samuel 19:23 1 Samuel 19:23 1 Samuel 20:1 1 Samuel 25:1 1 Samuel 28:3 1 Kings 15:17 1 Kings 15:21 1 Kings 15:22 2 Kings 8:29 36 Occurrences |
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