2:18
Verse 2:18 is a quote from Jeremiah 31:15. You may want to include a footnote with this reference in your translation.
2:18a
A voice is heard: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as voice can also mean “sound.” It refers to the voice (sound) of Rachel weeping and mourning.
The verb is heard is passive.
Here are some ways to translate this clause:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
A voice/sound was heard ⌊by people⌋
• As an active verb. For example:
⌊People⌋ heard the voice ⌊of someone⌋
-or-
A sound comes/came
in Ramah: The word Ramah is the name of a town. It was about eight kilometers (five miles) north of Jerusalem.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
in ⌊the town of⌋ Ramah
-or-
from ⌊the village of⌋ Ramah
2:18b
weeping and great mourning: The phrase weeping and great mourning further describes the “voice” in 2:18a. It is not describing a new event. As 2:18c indicates, it was Rachel who was weeping and mourning.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
⌊it was the sound of⌋ weeping and great mourning
-or-
⌊someone was⌋ weeping and mourning
The two words weeping and great mourning have almost the same meaning. In some languages, both words can be translated by one emphatic word or phrase. For example:
loud sobbing
-or-
the sound of bitter weeping (Good News Translation)
weeping: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weeping refers to loud crying. It does not refer to quiet weeping.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
crying (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
wailing (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
much/extreme crying
great mourning: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as great mourning refers to the sounds that people make when they have extreme grief. It is the sounds that people make when a relative has just died.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
loud wailing (NET Bible)
-or-
loud lamentation (English Standard Version)
-or-
weeping loudly (Contemporary English Version)
2:18c
Rachel weeping for her children: This clause identifies the “voice” or “sound” in 2:18a. The “voice” was the sound of Rachel weeping. It is figurative in this context. Rachel represents all the mothers who were weeping for their children who were killed.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
⌊That sound was⌋ Rachel weeping for her children
-or-
⌊It was the voice of⌋ Rachel weeping for her children
Rachel: The word Rachel is the name of a woman. She was the favorite wife of Jacob (Israel). The Jews considered Rachel to be the mother of their nation. She lived more than a thousand years before Jeremiah prophesied, and Jeremiah lived several hundred years before Christ was born. Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in his lifetime when many Israelites were killed in a war with Babylon. It was fulfilled again when Herod killed many baby boys in Bethlehem.
In some languages, it may be necessary to indicate that it was Rachel’s descendants who were weeping, not actually Rachel herself.
Here is another way to translate Rachel here:
Rachel’s descendants
weeping: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weeping is the same word as in 2:18b. It refers to loud crying, not quiet whimpering.
her children: In the time of Jeremiah and in the time of Christ, the children mentioned were the children of Rachel’s descendants, not her literal children.
Notice that if you translate Rachel as “Rachel’s descendants,” you will have to translate the phrase her children as “their children.”
2:18d
and refusing to be comforted: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as refusing to be comforted also means “not willing to be consoled.” Rachel did not want anyone to help lessen her grief.
The verb comforted is passive.
Here are some ways to translate this entire phrase:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
she refused to be consoled (Revised Standard Version)
• Use an active verb. For example:
she did not want anyone to comfort her
2:18e
because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces the reason for what was said in 2:18a–d.
In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:18e before 2:18c. For example:
18eRachel’s children are dead. 18c⌊So⌋ she is weeping for them, 18dand she does not want to be comforted.
they are no more: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they are no more indicates that “the children were dead.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they are dead (Good News Translation)
-or-
her children are dead (New Century Version)
-or-
they were gone (NET Bible)
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