Matthew 2

Matthew · Chapter 2

Matthew 2:18

1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,18In 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.19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:23And he 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18In 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.“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
A voiceφωνὴphōnēG5456G
voice/sound: voice

φωνή (phōnē) φωνή, -ῆς, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for קוֹל ;] a voice; (a) prop., of persons, Mat.2:18 (LXX), al.; φ. αἴρειν (ἐπαίρειν), Luk.17:13, Act.2:14, al.; φ. μεγάλῃ εἰπεῖν (λέγειν, φωνεῖν, etc.), Luk.8:28, Act.7:57, Rev.5:12, al.; γίνεται (ἔρχεται) φ. ἐκ τ. οὐρανῶν (ἐξ οὐρανοῦ), Mrk.1:11, Luk.3:22, Jhn.12:28, al. (cf. DCG, ii, 810a; Dalman, Words, 204f.); ἀκούειν φωνήν (-ῆς; see: ἀκούω), Act.9:4, 7 al.; φ. βοῶντος, Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, Luk.3:4, Jhn.1:23" (LXX) ; τ. θεοῦ, Jhn.5:37, Heb.3:7, al. By meton., (α) of the speaker, βλέπειν τὴν φ., Rev.1:12; …

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

RamahῬαμὰRhamaG4471
Ramah

Ῥαμᾶ (Rhama) Ῥαμά (Rec. -ᾶ), ἡ, indecl. (Heb. רָמָה), Ramah: Mat.2:18 (LXX).† (AS)

was heard,ἠκούσθη,ēkousthēG0191
to hear

ἀκούω (akouō) ἀκούω, [in LXX chiefly for שׁמע ] to hear, listen, attend, perceive by hearing, comprehend by hearing. 1. Intrans.: Mrk.4:3 7:37, Jas.2:5, Rev.2:7, al.; τ. ὠσίν, Mat.13:15 (LXX); with cogn. dative, ακοῇ ἀ. (see: ἀκοή), Mat.13:14, Act.28:26" (LXX) ; ὁ ἔχων ὦτα (οὖς) ἀκούειν, ἀκουσάτω, Mat.11:15, Mrk.4:23, Rev.2:7, al. …

lamentationθρῆνοςthrēnosG2355
lamentation

θρῆνος (thrēnos) θρῆνος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for קִינָה ;] a lamentation: Mat.2:18, Rec.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

weepingκλαυθμὸςklauthmosG2805
weeping

κλαυθμός (klauthmos) κλαυθμός, -οῦ, ὁ (κλαίω), [in LXX chiefly for בְּכִי ;] crying, weeping, Act.20:37; κ. καὶ ὀδυρμός, Mat.2:18 (LXX); ὁ κ. καὶ ὁ βρυγμός, Mat.8:12 13:42, 50 22:13 24:51 25:30, Luk.13:28.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

mourningὀδυρμὸςodurmosG3602
mourning

ὀδυρμός (odurmos) ὀδυρμός, -οῦ, ὁ (ὀδύρομαι, to lament), [in LXX : Jer.31:15 (תַּמְרוּר), 2Ma.11:6 * ;] lamentation, mourning: Mat.2:18 (LXX), 2Co.7:7.† (AS)

great,πολύς,polusG4183
much

πολύς (polus) πολύς, πολλή, πολύ, [in LXX chiefly for רַב and cognate forms ;] 1. as adj., much, many, great, of number, space, degree, value, time, etc.: ἀριθμός, Act.11:21; ὄχλος, Mrk.5:24; θερισμός, Mat.9:37; χόρτος, Jhn.6:10; χρόνος, Mat.25:19; γογγυσμός, Jhn.7:12; πόνος, Col.4:13; δόξα, Mat.24:30; σιγή, Act.21:40; pl., προφῆται, Mat.13:17; ὄχλοι, Mat.4:25; δαιμόνια, Mrk.1:34; δυνάμεις, Mat.7:22, …

RachelῬαχὴλRhachēlG4478
Rachel

Ῥαχήλ (Rhachēl) Ῥαχήλ, ἡ indecl. (Heb. רָחֵל), Rachel: Mat.2:18 (LXX).† (AS)

weeping [for]κλαίουσαklaiousaG2799
to weep

κλαίω (klaiō) κλαίω [in LXX chiefly for בָּכָה ;] of any loud expression of pain or sorrow, esp. for the dead, to weep, lament; (a) intrans.: Mrk.5:38-39 14:72 (M, Pr., 131) Mrk.16:10, Luk.7:13, 32 7:38 8:52, Jhn.11:31, 33 16:20 20:11, 13 20:15 Act.9:39 21:13, 1Co.7:30, Php.3:18, Jas.4:9 5:1, Rev.5:5 18:15, 19; πολύ, Rev.5:4; πολλά, Act.8:24 (WH, mg.); πικρῶς, Mat.26:75, Luk.22:62; opposite to γελάω, Luk.6:21, 25; χαίρω, Rom.12:15; before ἐπί, with accusative, Luk.19:41 23:28, Rev.18:9; (b) trans., with accusative of person(s), to weep or lament for, bewail: Mat.2:18.† SYN.: see: δακρύω (AS)

childrenτέκναteknaG5043
child

τέκνον (teknon) τέκνον, -ου, τό (τίκτω), [in LXX chiefly for בֵּן, also for יֶלֶד, etc. ;] that which is begotten, born (cf. Scottish bairn), a child of either sex: Mrk.13:12, Luk.1:7, Act.7:5; pl., Mat.7:11, Mrk.7:27, Luk.1:17, Eph.6:1, al.; τέκνα ἐπαγγελίας, Rom.9:8; τ. τῆς σαρκός, ib.; in a wider sense (as Heb. בָּנִים), of posterity, Mat.2:18, Luk.3:8, al.; specif., of a male child, Mat.21:28, Act.21:21, a,l.; in voc. as a form of kindly address from an elder to a junior or from a teacher to a disciple, Mat.9:2 21:28, Mrk.2:5, Luk.2:48; τ. μου (= cl. τ. μοι; see Bl., §37, 5), Gal.4:19 (τεκνία, WH, txt.) …

of her,αὐτῆς,autēsG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

notοὐκoukG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

was willingἤθελενēthelenG2309
to will/desire

θέλω (thelō) θέλω (the strengthened form ἐθέλω is found in Hom., and is the more frequently in Attic; see Rutherford, NPhr., 415f.), [in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;] to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Rom.9:16, 1Co.4:19 12:18, Jas.4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Act.18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.20:21, Mrk.14:36, Jhn.15:7, Rom.7:15, 16 1Co.4:21 7:36, Gal.5:17; with inf., Mat.5:40, Mrk.10:43, Jhn.6:21, 67 R …

to be comfortedπαρακληθῆναιparaklēthēnaiG3870
to plead/comfort

παρακαλέω (parakaleō) παρακαλέω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for נחם ni., pi. ;] 1. to call to one, call for, summon: Act.28:20 (R, mg.; R, txt., entreat); hence (of the gods: Dem., Xen., al.), to invoke, call on, beseech, entreat: τ. πατέρα μου, Mat.26:53; τ. κύριον, 2Co.12:8; in late writers (Polyb., Diod., al.; rarely in LXX; in π., see Deiss., LAE, 176.14), also of men: absol., Phm 9; with accusative, Mat.8:5, Mrk.1:40, Act.16:9, al.; with inf., Mrk.5:17, Luk.8:41, Act.8:31, al.; before ἵνα (see M, Pr., 205, 208), Mt 14"36, Mrk.5:18, Luk.8:31, al. …

becauseὅτιhotiG3754H
that/since: that

ὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; …

no moreοὐκoukG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

they are.εἰσίν.¶eisinG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.