New King James Version
Jeremiah 31:15
15Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”
Jeremiah 31:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more."
- New Living Translation (NLT)This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”
Context of Jeremiah 31:15
13“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow. 14I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.” 16Thus says the Lord: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 17There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:15 word by word
כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בְּרָמָ֤ה נִשְׁמָע֙ נְהִי֙ בְּכִ֣י תַמְרוּרִ֔ים רָחֵ֖ל מְבַכָּ֣ה עַל־בָּנֶ֑יהָ מֵאֲנָ֛ה לְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנֶ֖יהָ כִּ֥י אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- A voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- was heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- in Ramahרָמָהrâmâh · RamahH7414
- lamentationנְהִיnehîy · wailingH5092
- bitterתַּמְרוּרtamrûr · bitternessH8563
- weepingבְּכִיbekîy · weepingH1065
- Rahelרָחֵלrâchêl · RachelH7354
- weepingבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- for her childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- refusedמָאֵןmâ'ên · to refuseH3985
- to be comfortedנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: comfortH5162
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:15
- Ezekiel 2:10Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
- Matthew 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
- Jeremiah 40:1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.
- Joshua 18:25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
- 1 Samuel 7:17But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
- Matthew 2:18“A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”
- Genesis 37:35And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
- Psalms 77:2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted.
- Isaiah 22:4Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”
- Genesis 42:13And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”
- Job 7:21Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.”
- Psalms 37:36Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
- Lamentations 5:7Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15A voice was heard in Ramah - The Ramah mentioned here, (for there were several towns of this name), was situated in the tribe of Benjamin, about six or seven miles from Jerusalem. Near this place Rachel was buried; who is here, in a beautiful figure of poetry, represented as coming out of her grave, and lamenting bitterly for the loss of her children, none of whom presented themselves to her view, all being slain or gone into exile. St. Matthew, who is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 The religious character of the restoration of the ten tribes. Chastisement brought repentance, and with it forgiveness; therefore God decrees their restoration. Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah, mentioned because of its nearness to Jerusalem, from which it was distant about five miles. As the mother of three tribes, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, Rachel is regarded as the mother of the whole ten. This passage is quoted by Matthew (marginal reference)…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 10-17 He that scattered Israel, knows where to find them. It is comfortable to observe the goodness of the Lord in the gifts of providence. But our souls are never valuable as gardens, unless watered with the dews of God's Spirit and grace. A precious promise follows, which will not have full accomplishment except in the heavenly Zion. Let them be satisfied of God's loving-kindness, and they will be satisfied with it, and desire no more to make…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the father of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh in the northern kingdom. Benjamin's descendants were in the southern kingdom. She symbolized all Israeli mothers whose children were taken into exile. Matthew 2:18 refers to this verse regarding the killing of young boys in Bethlehem.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Ramah--In Benjamin, east of the great northern road, two hours' journey from Jerusalem. Rachel, who all her life had pined for children (Ge 30:1), and who died with "sorrow" in giving birth to Benjamin (Ge 35:18, 19, Margin; 1Sa 10:2), and was buried at Ramah, near Beth-lehem, is represented as raising her head from the tomb, and as breaking forth into "weeping" at seeing the whole land depopulated of her sons, the Ephraimites. Ramah was the place…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 31:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries