H7414 H7414
Ramah — 'the Height,' a town in Benjamin associated with Samuel's ministry and Rachel's weeping
Ramah (ha-Ramah, 'the Height') is a fortified town in the territory of Benjamin, identified with modern er-Ram about five miles north of Jerusalem. It appears 36 times across narrative, prophetic, and poetic texts. The town is best known as the home base of Samuel, where he judged Israel, anointed Saul, and later hosted David as a fugitive (1 Sam 7:17; 19:18-23). During the divided monarchy, Baasha of Israel fortified Ramah to blockade Judah, prompting Asa to dismantle it for building Geba and Mizpah (1 Kgs 15:17-22). Jeremiah's haunting oracle — 'a voice is heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children' (Jer 31:15) — gave the place messianic resonance, quoted in Matthew 2:18 at the slaughter of the innocents.
Senses
1. Ramah (place name) — The proper noun Ramah, denoting a Benjaminite town on the border with Ephraim, situated on the central ridge road north of Jerusalem. Functions as Samuel's prophetic headquarters (1 Sam 1:19; 2:11; 7:17; 25:1), a strategic military chokepoint in the Asa-Baasha conflict (1 Kgs 15:17-22 = 2 Chr 16:1-6), and a site of prophetic lament (Jer 31:15; echoed in Matt 2:18). The alternate form ha-Ramathaim ('the two Heights,' 1 Sam 1:1) may point to twin ridges. The Septuagint renders it Rama or Armathaim. Spanish 'Rama,' French 'Rama,' German 'Rama' all transliterate directly. 36×
AR["الرَّامَةَ", "الرَّامَةِ", "الرّامَةِ", "بِـ-الرَّامَةِ", "في-الرامَةِ", "في-الرّامَةِ", "فِي-الرَّامَةِ"]·ben["-রামায়", "-রামার", "রামা", "রামাতে", "রামায়", "রামায়-", "রামায়-সেই", "রামার"]·DE["[ברמה]", "[הרמה]", "bei-Rama", "der-Rama", "der-Wurm", "in-Rama", "in-Ramah", "in-Wurm"]·EN["at-Ramah", "in-Ramah", "the-Ramah"]·FR["Rama", "Ramah", "[ברמה]", "dans-Rama", "dans-Ramah", "le-Rama", "à-Rama"]·heb["ב-ה-רמה", "ב-רמה", "ה-רמה"]·HI["की-रामा", "बारामाह", "में-रामा", "में-रामाह", "रमह-मेइन", "रामाह-ה", "रामाह-के", "रामाह-को", "रामाह-में", "रामाहमें"]·ID["Rama", "di-Rama"]·IT["Rama", "[ברמה]", "a-Rama", "il-Rama", "in-Rama", "in-Ramah"]·jav["Rama", "ing-Rama", "ing-Ramah", "kang-Rama", "wonten-ing-Rama"]·KO["그-라마", "그-라마-에서", "그-라마를", "그-라마에서", "그-라마의", "라마에", "라마에-있는", "라마에서", "라마의", "에-라마", "에-라마에서"]·PT["Ramah", "a-Ramah", "em-Ramah", "em-Ramá", "ha-Ramah"]·RU["Раму", "Рамы", "а-Раму", "а-Рамы", "в-Раме"]·ES["Ramah", "en-Rama", "en-Ramah", "en-Ramá", "la-Ramah", "la-Ramá"]·SW["Rama", "huko-Rama", "katika-Rama", "wa-Rama"]·TR["-Rama'da", "Rama'da", "Rama'nın", "Rama'yı", "Rama-da", "Ramah'nın", "Ramah'ı", "Ramanin"]·urd["ال-راما", "راماہ-میں", "رامہ", "رامہ-میں", "رامہ-میں۔", "رامہ-کے"]
Josh 18:25, Josh 19:8, Josh 19:29, Josh 19:36, Judg 4:5, Judg 19:13, 1 Sam 1:19, 1 Sam 2:11, 1 Sam 7:17, 1 Sam 8:4, 1 Sam 15:34, 1 Sam 16:13 (+24 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. רָמָה n.pr.loc. usually c. art. הָר׳ the Height, Rama, הָרָמָה (except Je 31:15 Ne 11:33): 1. in Benj., on border of Ephr., Ho 5:8; 1 K 15:17, 21, 22 = 2 Ch 16:1, 5, 6; Ju 4:5; 19:3; Is 10:29; Je 31:15; 40:1; Jos 18:25 (P), Ezr 2:26 = Ne 7:30, prob. also Ne 11:33; 𝔊 usually Ραμα; mod. er-Râm, 5 miles N. of Jerus., BuhlGeogr. 172. 2. in hill-country of Ephr. (= 1?), home of Samuel 1 S 1:19;…