Rachel Weeping for Her Children
Jeremiah's lament fulfilled in Herod's slaughter of the innocents.
Jeremiah pictured the matriarch Rachel weeping from her grave over the children carried off into exile. Matthew identifies the prophecy's deeper fulfillment in Herod's massacre of the children of Bethlehem.
The Prophecy
"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."
The Fulfillment
"Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning..."
A grief that returns
Rachel was buried near Bethlehem. Her tomb stood as a perpetual witness, and the cries of mothers when Herod slaughtered the boys of Bethlehem fulfilled Jeremiah's ancient lament.
People in This Prophecy
Verse Commentary
Read verse-by-verse commentary on the key passages of this prophecy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rachel in Matthew 2?
The matriarch of Israel, used by Jeremiah as a symbolic mother of the people; her weeping is fulfilled in the slaughter of the innocents.
Related Bible Prophecies
Out of Egypt Have I Called My Son
Hosea 11:1 fulfilled in the holy family's return from Egypt.
The Messiah Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 named the village seven centuries in advance.
The Messiah Born of a Virgin
Isaiah 7:14 foretold a virgin would bear Immanuel — fulfilled in Mary.
The Eternal Throne of David
God's covenant with David fulfilled in Christ's everlasting reign.
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Ramah in the Bible
Samuel's hometown and the place of Rachel's weeping — echoed in the slaughter of
Jeremiah in the Bible
The Weeping Prophet
Jeremiah Quiz
The weeping prophet who warned Judah of the Babylonian captivity.