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Ramah

(a hill). This is the name of several places in the holy land.

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One of the cities of the allotment of Benjamin. (Joshua 18:25) Its site is at er-Ram, about five miles from Jerusalem, and near to Gibeah. (Judges 4:5; 19:13; 1 Samuel 22:6) Its people returned after the captivity. (Ezra 2:26; Nehemiah 7:30) The home of Elkanah, Samuel’s father, (1 Samuel 1:19; 2:11) the birthplace of Samuel himself, his home and official residence, the site of his altar ch. (1 Samuel 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 19:18) and finally his burial-place, ch. (1 Samuel 25:1; 28:3) It is a contracted form of Ramathaim-zophim. All that is directly said as to its situation is that it was in Mount Ephraim, (1 Samuel 1:1) a district without defined boundaries, The position of Ramah is a much-disputed question. Tradition, however places the residence of Samuel on the lofty and remarkable eminence of Neby Samwil which rises four miles to the northwest of Jerusalem. Since the days of Arcult the tradition appears to have been continuous. Here, then, we are inclined in the present state of the evidence, to place the Ramah of Samuel. One of the nineteen fortified places of Naphtali. (Joshua 19:36) Dr. Robinson has discovered a Rameh northwest of the Sea of Galilee, about 8 miles east-south-east of Safed. One of the landmarks on the boundary of Asher, (Joshua 19:29) apparently between Tyre and Zidon. Some place it 3 miles east of Tyre, others 10 miles off and east-southeast of the same city. By this name in (2 Kings 8:29) and 2Chr 22:6 only, is designated Ramoth-gilead. A place mentioned in the catalogue of those reinhabited by the Benjamites after their return from the captivity. (Nehemiah 11:33)

In the Bible

36

Verses where Ramah is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).

  • 1 Kings 15:17

    Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

  • 1 Kings 15:21

    When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

  • 1 Kings 15:22

    Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

  • 1 Samuel 1:19

    The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

  • 1 Samuel 2:11

    Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.

  • 1 Samuel 7:17

    Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

+30 more verses naming Ramah.

Scripture on Ramah

27

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Entries that reference Ramah

27

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Ramah references

20

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Sources · Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869) · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)

Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.