Meaning
A place name meaning “height” or “high place”; several places in the Bible are called Ramah.
Biblical Usage
Ramah is the name of more than one place in Scripture. The Ramah most closely associated with Samuel is a town in the hill country of Ephraim, where Samuel lived, judged Israel, and was buried.
Another important Ramah was a town in the territory of Benjamin. The name also occurs in other geographical contexts, so references should be understood according to their surrounding passage.
Key References
- Joshua 18:25 — Ramah is listed among the cities of Benjamin.
- Judges 4:5 — Deborah judged Israel between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim.
- 1 Samuel 1:19 — Samuel’s family returns to Ramah.
- 1 Samuel 7:17 — Samuel returns to Ramah and judges Israel there.
- 1 Samuel 8:4 — Samuel’s sons are associated with Beersheba while Samuel is associated with Ramah.
- 1 Samuel 15:34 — Samuel goes to Ramah.
- 1 Samuel 19:18 — David comes to Samuel at Ramah.
- Jeremiah 31:15 — Ramah is associated with mourning.
- Matthew 2:18 — Matthew quotes Jeremiah’s reference to Ramah.
Related Terms
- Samuel
- Ephraim
- Benjamin
- Bethel
- Gibeah