Matthew 2:18 (WEB)
“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.”
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Matthew 2:18 (KJV)
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Key words
- Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσαRhachēl klaiousa · Greek
- 'Rachel weeping' — Matthew's rendering of Jeremiah 31:15.
- οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναιouk ēthelen paraklēthēnai · Greek
- 'would not be comforted' — the inconsolable mother.
Why it matters
Matthew applies Jeremiah's picture of Rachel weeping for her children to the massacre at Bethlehem. Pitre reads this as the New Testament's cue for the New Rachel typology: the beloved mother of sorrows tied to Bethlehem is now Mary, whose weeping for her children, like Rachel's, is answered by God with hope (Jeremiah 31:16–17).
Catechism · 1
“The flight into Egypt and the massacre of the innocents” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 2:13-18.
Fathers and councils · 18
Tertullian
“…Him with approving shouts, proved its ability to offer Him testimony; while the other, by being slaughtered, for His sake of course, knew what violence meant.” — editor's note: Matt. ii. 16–18.
Read the whole comment“Let Herod, too, mend his manners, so that Jeremy may not glory over him.” — editor's note: Matt. ii. 16–18, and Jer. xxxi. 15.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Thus, too, Herod, who himself also was a king, is [said there to be] afraid of the royal child, and to put so many little children to death in order to make sure that the one might be slain.” — editor's note: Matt. ii. 1–18.
Read the whole comment“…the parts of Galilee; and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” — editor's note: Matt. ii. 13–23.
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John Chrysostom
“…by Herod, they bring in Jeremy, saying, “In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children” ( Matt. ii. 18; Jer. xxxi. 15 ); and again, when He comes up out of Egypt, they mention Hosea, saying, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son” ( Matt. ii. 15; Hosea…” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment““Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”” — editor's note: Matt. ii. 17, 18.
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Hippolytus of Rome
“For this reason, he says, “Rachel wept for her children, and would not,” says (the prophet), “be comforted; sorrowing for them, for she knew,” says he, “that they are not.”” — editor's note: Jer. xxxi. 15; Matt. ii. 18.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Evangelist by this history of so bloody a massacre, having filled the reader with horror, now again sooths his feelings, shewing that these things were not done because God could not hinder, or knew not of them;…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
This passage of Jeremiah has been quoted by Matthew neither according to the Hebrew nor the LXX version. This shews that the Evangelists and Apostles did not follow any one’s translation, but according to the Hebrew…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, it was heard on high, because uttered for the death of the innocent, according to that, “The voice of the poor entereth into the heavens.” The ‘weeping’ means the cries of the children; ‘lamentation,’ refers to…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Rachel’s son was Benjamin, in which tribe Bethlehem is not situated. How then does Rachel weep for the children of Judah as if they were her own? We answer briefly. She was buried near Bethlehem in Ephrata, and was…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, The sons of Benjamin, who were akin to Rachel, were formerly cut off by the other tribes, and so extinct both then and ever after. Then therefore Rachel began to mourn her sons, when she saw those of her sister…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
The sacred Evangelist adds, to shew the greatness of the mourning, that even the dead Rachel was roused to mourn her sons; and “would not be comforted because they were not.”
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
This may be understood in two ways; either she thought them dead for all eternity, so that no consolation could comfort her; or, she desired not to receive any comfort for those who she knew had gone into life eternal.
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
It could not be that they “were not” who seemed now dead, but by glorious martyrdom they were advanced to eternal life; and consolation is for those who have suffered loss, not for those who have reaped a gain.…
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, The Church weeps the removal of the saints from this earth, but wishes not to be comforted as though they should return again to the struggles of life, for they are not to be recalled into life.
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
She “will not be comforted” in this present life, for that they are not, but transfers all her hope and comfort to the life to come.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Rachel is well set for a type of the Church, as the word signifies ‘a sheep’ or ‘seeing;’ [margin note: see Ch. 1, note i, p. 19] her whole thought being to fix her eye in contemplation of God; and she is the…
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Cross-references · 8
Cited together with
Cross-reference given by the World English Bible's translators.
Cited together in A Treatise on the Soul Chapter 19.
Cited together in A Treatise on the Soul Chapter 19.
Cited together in Catechism §530.
Cited together in Catechism §530.
Cited together in A Treatise on the Soul Chapter 19.
Cited together in Catechism §530.
Quotes
Matthew 2:18 takes up the words of Jeremiah 31:15 (15 words in common).