What is the significance of Ramah in the Bible?

Answer

Ramah is the name of various cities mentioned in the Bible.

Ramah of Asher is a village located near the northern border of Asher in the region of Tyre «and then the coast turns to Ramah, and to the fortified city Tyre; and the coast turns to Hosah; and its boundaries reach the sea from the coast to Achzib: », (Joshua 19:29). Ramah of Naphtali is a village assigned to the tribe of Naphtali «and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, », (Joshua 19:36). Ramah of Asher and Ramah of Naphtali could have been the same settlement as Asher’s and Naphtali’s territories were interconnected. Ramah of Benjamin is a town designated to the tribe of Benjamin near where Deborah served as a judge over Israel «And she lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came to her for judgment. », (Judges 4:5). Ramah of Simeon (also known as Ramah of the Negev) is a desert village in the Negev region allocated to the tribe of Simeon «and all the villages surrounding these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. », (Joshua 19:8). King David once distributed gifts to the people there from the spoils of war after defeating the Amalekites successfully «to those in Bethel, and to those in south Ramoth, and to those in Jattir, », (1 Samuel 30:27).

Ramah means “height” or “high place” and is often associated with military.

Strongholds. Ramah of Benjamin plays a significant role in the biblical narrative. Situated about five miles north of Jerusalem and west of Geba and Michmash, Ramah of Benjamin is associated today with modern er-Ram. This Ramah was the birthplace, hometown, and burial site of the prophet Samuel ((1 Samuel 1:1,19-20;25:1)). The book of 1 Samuel locates Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim—a vast mountainous territory comprising the tribal lands of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Deborah, Israel’s only female judge, established headquarters near Ramah of Benjamin: “She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided” «And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. », (Judges 4:5). Ramah’s proximity to Gibeah, King Saul’s hometown «And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. », (1 Samuel 10:26), made it the ideal refuge for David when fleeing from Saul to meet up with Samuel (1 Samuel 19:18-19).

Ramah of Benjamin reappears during the divided monarchy and the rival kingdoms of Israel and Judah. King Baasha of Israel constructed a fortress at Ramah in Benjamin to prevent people from entering or leaving Judah. However, King Asa, ruling in Judah at the time, formed an alliance with Ben-hadad of Damascus, the king of Syria. Upon learning that Ben-hadad had attacked and conquered cities in Israel, Baasha ceased fortifying Ramah and departed for Tirzah. Asa then dismantled Baasha’s fortifications.

Distress in Ramah (1 Kings 15:17-22).

Ramah of Benjamin is mentioned several times in the prophetic books. Isaiah 10:29 describes how the Assyrians would advance toward Jerusalem through Ramah. This same Ramah is one of the cities that sounded a warning in Hosea’s judgment cry against Israel “Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after you, O Benjamin.”, (Hosea 5:8). After Jeremiah was imprisoned and later thrown into a cistern by King Zedekiah, he was taken to Ramah and released “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all those who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were taken captive to Babylon.”, (Jeremiah 40:1). When the captives returned from exile in Babylon, Ramah of Benjamin is listed among the places where Jews settled (Ezra 2:26; Nehemiah 7:30).

Jacob’s wife Rachel’s burial site is also associated with this Ramah. Rachel died giving birth to her son Benjamin and was buried near Bethlehem. Jacob marked her grave with a large pillar “And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.”, (Genesis 35:20). Later, Rachel is mentioned in a passage of lament: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” “Thus says the LORD; 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.” , (Jeremiah 31:15). Speaking of the plight of the Hebrew exiles, the prophet portrays Rachel as weeping over her “children.” Ramah, a city in the territory of Rachel’s son Benjamin, was, in fact, populated by her descendants. In the New Testament, Matthew applies Jeremiah’s words to the weeping in Bethlehem when Herod massacred the children there after the birth of Christ (Matthew 2:17-18). It is the only time Ramah is mentioned in the New Testament.