Rachel - ewe, "the daughter", "the somewhat petulant, peevish, and self-willed though beautiful younger daughter" of Laban, and one of Jacob's wives ( Gen. 29:6,Gen. 29:28). He served Laban fourteen years for her, so deep was Jacob's affection for her. She was the mother of Joseph ( Gen. 30:22-24). Afterwards, on Jacob's departure from Mesopotamia, she took with her her father's teraphim ( Gen 31:34,Gen 31:35). As they journeyed on from Bethel, Rachel died in giving birth to Benjamin ( Gen 35:18,Gen 35:19), and was buried "in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave". Her sepulchre is still regarded with great veneration by the Jews. Its traditional site is about half a mile from Jerusalem.

This name is used poetically by Jeremiah ( Gen 31:15-17) to denote God's people mourning under their calamities. This passage is also quoted by Matthew as fulfilled in the lamentation at Bethlehem on account of the slaughter of the infants there at the command of Herod ( Matt. 2:17,Matt. 2:18).

Raguel - friend of God, ( Num. 10:29)=Reuel (q.v.), Ex. 2:18, the father-in-law of Moses, and probably identical with Jethro (q.v.).

Rahab - insolence; pride, a poetical name applied to Egypt in Ps. 87:4; Ps 89:10; Isa. 51:9, as "the proud one."

Rahab, (Heb. Rahab; i.e., "broad," "large"). When the Hebrews were encamped at Shittim, in the "Arabah" or Jordan valley opposite Jericho, ready to cross the river, Joshua, as a final preparation, sent out two spies to "spy the land." After five days they returned, having swum across the river, which at this season, the month Abib, overflowed its banks from the melting of the snow on Lebanon. The spies reported how it had fared with them ( Josh. 2:1-7). They had been exposed to danger in Jericho, and had been saved by the fidelity of Rahab the harlot, to whose house they had gone for protection. When the city of Jericho fell ( Josh 6:17-25), Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated among the Jewish people. She afterwards became the wife of Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah ( Ruth 4:21; 1 Chr. 2:11; Matt. 1:5). "Rahab's being asked to bring out the spies to the soldiers ( Josh. 2:3) sent for them, is in strict keeping with Eastern manners, which would not permit any man to enter a woman's house without her permission. The fact of her covering the spies with bundles of flax which lay on her house-roof ( Josh 2:6) is an 'undesigned coincidence' which strictly corroborates the narrative. It was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and barley are ripe at the same time in the Jordan valley, so that the bundles of flax stalks might have been expected to be drying just then" (Geikie's Hours, etc., ii., 390).

Raham - merciful, one of the descendants of Caleb, the son of Hezron (1 Chr. 2:44).

Rain - There are three Hebrew words used to denote the rains of different seasons, (1.) Yoreh ( Hos. 6:3), or moreh ( Joel 2:23), denoting the former or the early rain. (2.) Melqosh, the "latter rain" ( Prov. 16:15). (3.) Geshem, the winter rain, "the rains." The heavy winter rain is mentioned in Gen. 7:12; Ezra 10:9; Cant. 2:11. The "early" or "former" rains commence in autumn in the latter part of October or beginning of November ( Deut. 11:14; Joel 2:23; comp. Jer. 3:3), and continue to fall heavily for two months. Then the heavy "winter rains" fall from the middle of December to March. There is no prolonged fair weather in Palestine between October and March. The "latter" or spring rains fall in March and April, and serve to swell the grain then coming to maturity ( Deut. 11:14; Hos. 6:3). After this there is ordinarily no rain, the sky being bright and cloudless till October or November.

Rain is referred to symbolically in Deut. 32:2; Ps. 72:6; Isa. 44:3, Isa. 44:4; Hos. 10:12.

Rainbow - caused by the reflection and refraction of the rays of the sun shining on falling rain. It was appointed as a witness of the divine faithfulness ( Gen. 9:12-17). It existed indeed before, but it was then constituted as a sign of the covenant. Others, however (as Delitzsch, Commentary on Pentateuch), think that it "appeared then for the first time in the vault and clouds of heaven." It is argued by those holding this opinion that the atmosphere was differently constituted before the Flood. It is referred to three other times in Scripture ( Ezek. 1:27,Ezek. 1:28; Rev. 4:1-3; Rev 10:1).

Raisins - dried grapes; mentioned 1 Sam. 25:18;1 Sam 30:12; 2 Sam. 16:1; 1 Chr. 12:40.

Rakkath - shore-town, a "fenced city" of the tribe of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:35). The old name of Tiberias, according to the Rabbins.

Rakkon - a place upon the shore, a town belonging to Dan ( Josh. 19:46). It is now Tell er-Rakkeit, 6 miles north of Joppa, on the sea-shore, near the mouth of the river 'Aujeh, i.e., "yellow water." (See KANAH.)

Ram - exalted. (1.) The son of Hezron, and one of the ancestors of the royal line ( Ruth 4:19). The margin of 1 Chr. 2:9, also Matt. 1:3, Matt. 1:4and Luke 3:33, have "Aram."

(2.) One of the sons of Jerahmeel (1 Chr. 2:25,1 Chr. 2:27).

(3.) A person mentioned in Job 32:2 as founder of a clan to which Elihu belonged. The same as Aram of Gen. 22:21.

Rama - ( Matt. 2:18), the Greek form of Ramah. (1.) A city first mentioned in Josh. 18:25, near Gibeah of Benjamin. It was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:17-22; 2 Chr. 16:1-6). Asa, king of Judah, employed Benhadad the Syrian king to drive Baasha from this city (1 Kings 15:18,1 Kings 15:20). Isaiah 1 Kings 10:29) refers to it, and also Jeremiah, who was once a prisoner there among the other captives of Jerusalem when it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar ( Jer. 39:8-12;Jer 40:1). Rachel, whose tomb lies close to Bethlehem, is represented as weeping in Ramah ( Jer. 31:15) for her slaughtered children. This prophecy is illustrated and fulfilled in the re-awakening of Rachel's grief at the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem ( Matt. 2:18). It is identified with the modern village of er-Ram, between Gibeon and Beeroth, about 5 miles due north of Jerusalem. (See SAMUEL.)

(2.) A town identified with Rameh, on the border of Asher, about 13 miles south-east of Tyre, "on a solitary hill in the midst of a basin of green fields" ( Josh. 19:29).

(3.) One of the "fenced cities" of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:36), on a mountain slope, about seven and a half miles west-south-west of Safed, and 15 miles west of the north end of the Sea of Galilee, the present large and well-built village of Rameh.

(4.) The same as Ramathaim-zophim (q.v.), a town of Mount Ephraim (1 Sam. 1:1,1 Sam. 1:19).

(5.) The same as Ramoth-gilead (q.v.), 2 Kings 8:29; 2 Chr. 22:6.

Ramathaim-zophim - the two heights of the Zophites or of the watchers (only in 1 Sam. 1:1), "in the land of Zuph" 1 Sam 9:5). Ramathaim is another name for Ramah (4).

One of the Levitical families descended from Kohath, that of Zuph or Zophai (1 Chr. 6:26,1 Chr. 6:35), had a district assigned to them in Ephraim, which from this circumstance was called "the land of Zuph," and hence the name of the town, "Zophim." It was the birth-place of Samuel and the seat of his authority (1 Sam. 2:11;1 Sam 7:17). It is frequently mentioned in the history of that prophet and of David 1 Sam 15:34;1 Sam 16:13;1 Sam 19:18-23). Here Samuel died and was buried 1 Sam 25:1).

This town has been identified with the modern Neby Samwil ("the prophet Samuel"), about 4 or 5 miles north-west of Jerusalem. But there is no certainty as to its precise locality. Some have supposed that it may be identical with Arimathea of the New Testament. (See MIZPAH ).

Ramathite - the designation given to Shimei, the manager of David's vineyard (1 Chr. 27:27).

Ramath-lehi - elevation of Lehi, or the jawbone height; i.e., the Ramah of Lehi ( Judg. 15:15-17). The phrase "in the jaw," ver. 19, Authorized Version, is in the margin, also in the Revised Version, "in Lehi." Here Samson slew a thousand Philistines with a jawbone.

Ramath-mizpeh - the height of Mizpeh or of the watch-tower ( Josh. 13:26), a place mentioned as one of the limits of Gad. There were two Mizpehs on the east of the Jordan. This was the Mizpeh where Jacob and Laban made a covenant, "Mizpeh of Gilead," called also Galeed and Jegar-sahadutha. It has been identified with the modern es-Salt, where the roads from Jericho and from Shechem to Damascus unite, about 25 miles east of the Jordan and 13 south of the Jabbok.

Ramath of the south - (Heb. Ramath-negeb). The Heb. negeb is the general designation for south or south-west of Judah. This was one of the towns of Simeon ( Josh. 19:8). It is the same as "south Ramoth" (1 Sam. 30:27; R.V., "Ramoth of the south"). Its site is doubtful. Some have thought it another name for Baalath-beer.

Rameses - "the land of" ( Gen. 47:11), was probably "the land of Goshen" (q.v.( Gen 45:10. After the Hebrews had built Rameses, one of the "treasure cities," it came to be known as the "land" in which that city was built.

The city bearing this name ( Ex. 12:37) was probably identical with Zoan, which Rameses II. ("son of the sun") rebuilt. It became his special residence, and ranked next in importance and magnificance to Thebes. Huge masses of bricks, made of Nile mud, sun-dried, some of them mixed with stubble, possibly moulded by Jewish hands, still mark the site of Rameses. This was the general rendezvous of the Israelites before they began their march out of Egypt. Called also Raamses ( Ex. 1:11).

Ramoth - heights. A Levitical city in the tribe of Issachar (1 Sam. 30:27; 1 Chr. 6:73), the same as Jarmuth ( Josh. 21:29) and Remeth (q.v.( Josh , 19:21.

Ramoth-gilead - heights of Gilead, a city of refuge on the east of Jordan; called "Ramoth in Gilead" ( Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; Josh 21:38). Here Ahab, who joined Jehoshaphat in an endeavour to rescue it from the hands of the king of Syria, was mortally wounded (1 Kings 22:1-36). A similar attempt was afterwards made by Ahaziah and Joram, when the latter was wounded (2 Kings 8:28). In this city Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, was anointed by one of the sons of the prophets 2 Kings 9:1,2 Kings 9:4).

It has with probability been identified with Reimun, on the northern slope of the Jabbok, about 5 miles west of Jerash or Gerasa, one of the cities of Decapolis. Others identify it with Gerosh, about 25 miles north-east of es-Salt, with which also many have identified it. (See RAMATH-MIZPEH .)

Ranges - (1.) Lev. 11:35. Proably a cooking furnace for two or more pots, as the Hebrew word here is in the dual number; or perhaps a fire-place fitted to receive a pair of ovens.

(2.) 2 Kings 11:8. A Hebrew word is here used different from the preceding, meaning "ranks of soldiers." The Levites were appointed to guard the king's person within the temple (2 Chr. 23:7), while the soldiers were his guard in the court, and in going from the temple to the palace. The soldiers are here commanded to slay any one who should break through the "ranks" (as rendered in the R.V.) to come near the king. In 2 Kings 11:15 the expression, "Have her forth without the ranges," is in the Revised Version, "Have her forth between the ranks;" i.e., Jehoiada orders that Athaliah should be kept surrounded by his own guards, and at the same time conveyed beyond the precincts of the temple.

Ransom - the price or payment made for our redemption, as when it is said that the Son of man "gave his life a ransom for many" ( Matt. 20:28; comp. Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:23, Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 6:19,1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 3:13; Gal 4:4, Gal. 3:5:Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18,1 Pet. 1:19. In all these passages the same idea is expressed). This word is derived from the Fr. rancon; Lat. redemptio. The debt is represented not as cancelled but as fully paid. The slave or captive is not liberated by a mere gratuitous favour, but a ransom price has been paid, in consideration of which he is set free. The original owner receives back his alienated and lost possession because he has bought it back "with a price." This price or ransom (Gr. lutron) is always said to be Christ, his blood, his death. He secures our redemption by the payment of a ransom. (See REDEMPTION.)

Rapha - tall. (1.) A Benjamite, the son of Binea (1 Chr. 8:2,1 Chr. 8:37), a descendant of Saul. (2.) Margin of 1 Chr. 20:4,1 Chr. 20:6, where "giant" is given in the text.

Raphu - healed, a Benjamite, whose son Palti was one of the twelve spies ( Num. 13:9).

Raven - Heb. 'orebh, from a root meaning "to be black" (comp. Cant. 5:11); first mentioned as "sent forth" by Noah from the ark ( Gen. 8:7). "Every raven after his kind" was forbidden as food ( Lev. 11:15; Deut. 14:14). Ravens feed mostly on carrion, and hence their food is procured with difficulty ( Job 38:41; Ps. 147:9). When they attack kids or lambs or weak animals, it is said that they first pick out the eyes of their victims ( Prov. 30:17). When Elijah was concealed by the brook Cherith, God commanded the ravens to bring him "bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening" (1 Kings 17:3-6). (See ELIJAH.)

There are eight species of ravens in Palestine, and they are everywhere very numerous in that land.