The phrase, Thus says the Lord
indicates the start of a new poem that has been included in this chapter of the Book of Consolation. The poem (Jeremiah 31:15–22) has three parts1:
Jeremiah 31:15–17 - the Lord comforts Rachel telling her to no longer weep because her children will return.
Jeremiah 31:18–20 - Ephraim, the people, turn to the Lord in repentance.
Jeremiah 31:21–22 - the Lord responds by bringing his faithless daughter home as Virgin Israel.
This poem clearly speaks of the Assyrian invasion of the northern tribes of Israel, but as mentioned before, the message of the Book of Consolation is for the whole nation of Israel, both the northern tribes and Judah. So, in this poem northern Israel can be seen as representing the whole nation.
The poem begins with the scenes of joy and celebration in the previous poem (Jeremiah 31:12–14) replaced with weeping and sorrow. The voice of Rachel is heard in Ramah weeping bitterly for her children. Rachel was one of the wives of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Ramah was in the tribe of Benjamin and on the boundary between Israel and Judah. The cause of Rachel’s weeping is the Assyrian invasion that destroyed the northern tribes. The nations trauma is described by the personification of Rachel desperately searching for her children. The Hebrew word used for lamentation
is nehi and it describes cries made for the dead. Rachel’s weeping is described as bitter
using taste to describe her distress and sadness2.
The focus on Rachel in this poem is apt. As a key figure in the history of Israel, her story was one of great tragedy. She had never found a home in the Promised Land, but was only being buried there. She died on her way
to Bethlehem while giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35:16–19)3. Rachel had desperately wanted children (Genesis 30:1), but when she had them, they became a great source of trouble to her, even up to the point of her death4 . The fact that Rachel is heard weeping in Ramah is significant, because the people of Judah pass through there on their way to exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 30:9)5. Rachel weeping for her children is therefore a powerful image of a nation that is no more
with both north and south taken away into exile.
15 Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”