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Matthew 2:18

“A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    On the hilles was a voyce herde mornynge wepynge and greate lamentacion: Rachel wepynge for her chyldren and wolde not be conforted because they were not.

  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    In Rhama was a voyce heard, mourning, and weeping, and great howling: Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not.

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Cross-references (10)

Passages linked to Matthew 2:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Jeremiah 31:15 Yahweh says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
  • Jeremiah 9:17-21 Yahweh of Armies says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come. Send for the skillful women, that they may come. Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, ‘How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.’ ” Yet hear Yahweh’s word, you women. Let your ear receive the word of his mouth. Teach your daughters wailing. Everyone teach her neighbor a lamentation. For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets.
  • Jeremiah 4:31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”
  • Genesis 35:16-20 They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.” As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin. Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem). Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
  • Ezekiel 2:10 He spread it before me. It was written within and without; and lamentations, mourning, and woe were written in it.
  • Genesis 37:30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
  • Genesis 37:33-35 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.” Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him.
  • Genesis 42:36 Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
  • Job 14:10 But man dies, and is laid low. Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
  • Revelation 8:13 I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (14 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain A voice of lamenting, weeping, and howling.

A voice of lamenting, weeping, and howling.

That is to say, All that compass about Bethlehem: for Rachel Jacob’s wife, who died in childbirth, was buried in the way that leadeth to this town, which is also called Ephrathah, because of the fruitfulness of the soil, and plenty of corn.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation,…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Rachel weeping for her children - The Benjamites, who…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 18. In Rama was there a voice heard]…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Mat 2:18. In Rama was a voice heard —…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain In Rama was there a voice heard - Rama…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain A voice was heard in Rama.[4] St. Jerome takes…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 18. In Ramah — Rama was a village in…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. Jer_31:15, in LXX. Jer_38:15. In a singularly touching…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (18) In Rama was there a voice heard.—Here again…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vicarious sorrow.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 18. In Ramah was a voice heard. Ramah was…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:18 Ramah, a village near Bethlehem, is the place…

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