The Meaning of Matthew 2:18 Explained

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.

YLT: A voice in Ramah was heard -- lamentation and weeping and much mourning -- Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted because they are not.'

Darby: A voice has been heard in Rama, weeping, and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Matthew 2:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 2:16-23 - "out Of Egypt Did I Call My Son"
The death of those little children was very pathetic. From the first it seemed as though our Lord's advent would bring not peace, but the sword. Their mothers have long since been comforted, but it was a bitter experience. The little ones were the nucleus of the great attendant crowd "that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth," Revelation 14:1-4.
They are dead that sought the young child's life. Such is the epitaph that may be written for those who have set themselves to oppose the cause of Christ. Voltaire's house in Geneva is now used as a Bible Society depot. Many of the books that made Christians tremble for the Ark, are to be found on the top shelves of second-hand libraries. There is no permanence in destructive criticism. The young child comes up out of Egypt. There is a sense in which the life of Jesus is the epitome of the story of Israel and the experience of each Christian. See that you do not linger in Egypt, but come up in the pathway of separation and consecration to His high purposes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 2

1  The wise men from the east enquire after Jesus;
3  at which Herod is alarmed
9  They are directed by a star to Bethlehem, worship him, and offer their presents
13  Joseph flees into Egypt with Jesus and his mother
16  Herod slays the children;
20  himself dies
23  Jesus is brought back again into Galilee to Nazareth

What do the individual words in Matthew 2:18 mean?

A voice in Ramah was heard weeping and mourning great Rachel weeping [for] the children of her not would be comforted because no more are they
Φωνὴ ἐν Ῥαμὰ ἠκούσθη κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὀδυρμὸς πολύς Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν

Φωνὴ  A  voice 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: φωνή  
Sense: a sound, a tone.
Ῥαμὰ  Ramah 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: Ῥαμά  
Sense: a town of the tribe of Benjamin, situated about 5 miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem on the road to Bethel.
ἠκούσθη  was  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
κλαυθμὸς  weeping 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κλαυθμός  
Sense: weeping, lamentation.
ὀδυρμὸς  mourning 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὀδυρμός  
Sense: wailing, lamentation, mourning.
πολύς  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
Ῥαχὴλ  Rachel 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Ῥαχήλ  
Sense: the wife of Jacob.
κλαίουσα  weeping  [for] 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: κλαίω  
Sense: to mourn, weep, lament.
τέκνα  children 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
παρακληθῆναι  be  comforted 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: παρακαλέω  
Sense: to call to one’s side, call for, summon.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
οὐκ  no  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
εἰσίν  are  they 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.