Matthew 2:17-18
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Matthew is highlighting that while Jeremiah's prophecy originally spoke of the sorrowful exile of the people of Israel, it finds a profound and heart-wrenching new fulfillment in the massacre of Bethlehem's infants. This isn't just about a past event echoing in the present, but about how the deepest human grief, even that of a mother weeping for lost children, can point to God's redemptive plan.
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the Magi's visit and Herod the Great's murderous rage upon realizing he'd been tricked, the narrative shifts to a devastating massacre. King Herod, in a desperate attempt to eliminate the prophesied newborn King of the Jews, ordered the slaughter of all young male children in Bethlehem. This brutal act, designed to ensure his own reign, tragically fulfills a prophecy uttered centuries earlier by Jeremiah regarding Rachel's grief.
Jeremiah spoke of profound sorrow, but Matthew saw it speak to an even greater tragedy. How can ancient words find new life?
Matthew isn't just saying, 'Look, this happened just like Jeremiah said.' He's showing how the prophet's words, originally about the exile's pain, gained a new, deeper significance in the massacre of Bethlehem's children.
A wail of sorrow echoes from ancient times. Why does Matthew bring Rachel, weeping for her children, into this story of Jesus?
The prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 uses the powerful image of Rachel, the matriarch and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, weeping for her lost children.
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Understand the original words
plēroō · Greek Verb
The accomplishment or realization of what was previously predicted or promised by God through the prophets. It highlights the continuity between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament events.
prophētēs · Greek Noun
A person chosen by God to speak His message, warning, or revelation to His people. They serve as the mouthpiece of God, with their words often carrying divine authority.
klauthmos · Greek Noun
A profound expression of deep grief, sorrow, or mourning, often associated with loss or divine judgment.
Rachel · Hebrew Proper Noun
The matriarch of Israel and wife of Jacob. She is symbolically depicted as grieving for the lost children of Israel, representing the inconsolable sorrow of the nation.
Matthew applies Jeremiah's prophecy about the sorrow of exile to the massacre of Bethlehem's children. This shows how God can use ancient words to speak powerfully into new, tragic circumstances, giving them deeper meaning and pointing towards His redemptive plan.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event is associated with the prophet Jeremiah's later prophecy concerning weeping women.
586 BC
Babylonian Conquest of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, destroys Jerusalem and exiles many Judeans to Babylon. This event is the primary context for Jeremiah's prophecy of weeping at Ramah.
c. 580 BC
Jeremiah's Prophecy at Ramah
The prophet Jeremiah records a prophecy of lamentation and weeping heard in Ramah, as captured mothers grieve for their children taken into exile. This prophecy is later applied to the massacre of infants in Bethlehem.
c. 4 BC— this verse
Herod's Massacre of the Innocents
King Herod the Great, upon learning of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem from the Magi, orders the execution of all male children in the town and surrounding areas, aged two and under.
c. 4 BC
Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt
Joseph, warned in a dream, flees with the infant Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape Herod's murderous decree, fulfilling another prophecy.
c. 4 BC
Death of Herod the Great
Herod the Great dies, after which Joseph and his family are able to return from Egypt.
This is the direct source of the prophecy quoted by Matthew, illustrating the original context of sorrow and displacement.
Genesis 35:19This passage locates Rachel's tomb near Bethlehem, providing a geographical and symbolic link for why Rachel would 'weep' for the children of that region.
Hosea 11:1Matthew also references Hosea's 'Out of Egypt I called my son,' drawing a parallel between Israel's exodus from Egypt and Jesus's flight and return from Egypt, highlighting God's consistent redemptive actions.
Matthew 2:13-15These verses immediately precede the massacre, detailing the flight to Egypt which, along with the later massacre, sets the stage for the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus's early life.
barnesMatthew 2:17: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,"
Then was fulfilled - The word "fulfilled," here. is used evidently in the sense that the words in Jeremiah aptly express the event which Matthew was recording. Compare the notes at Matthew 1:22 . That which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet - Jeremiah. This quotation is taken from Jeremiah 31:15. The original design of the prophecy was to describe the sorrowful departure of the people of Israel into captivity…
pulpitMatthew 2:17: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,"
Verses 17, 18. - Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by (διά) Jeremy the prophet, saying, 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 (Jeremiah 31:15, from the Hebrew). Notice: (1) As to details. (a) The order in the Revised Version. A voice was heard in Ramah is more literal; the stress…
Matthew is highlighting that while Jeremiah's prophecy originally spoke of the sorrowful exile of the people of Israel, it finds a profound and heart-wrenching new fulfillment in the massacre of Bethlehem's infants. This isn't just about a past event echoing in the present, but about how the deepest human grief, even that of a mother weeping for lost children, can point to God's redemptive plan.
Following the Magi's visit and Herod the Great's murderous rage upon realizing he'd been tricked, the narrative shifts to a devastating massacre. King Herod, in a desperate attempt to eliminate the prophesied newborn King of the Jews, ordered the slaughter of all young male children in Bethlehem. This brutal act, designed to ensure his own reign, tragically fulfills a prophecy uttered centuries earlier by Jeremiah regarding Rachel's grief.
Following the Magi's visit and Herod the Great's murderous rage upon realizing he'd been tricked, the narrative shifts to a devastating massacre. King Herod, in a desperate attempt to eliminate the prophesied newborn King of the Jews, ordered the slaughter of all young male children in Bethlehem. This brutal act, designed to ensure his own reign, tragically fulfills a prophecy uttered centuries earlier by Jeremiah regarding Rachel's grief.
"Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”" — Matthew is highlighting that while Jeremiah's prophecy originally spoke of the sorrowful exile of the people of Israel, it finds a profound and heart-wrenching new fulfillment in the massacre of Beth…
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Last reviewed October 2026
