3 Kings 15:17
And Baasa king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, that no man might go out or come in, of the side of Asa king of Juda.
Open 3 Kings 15:17 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ascendit quoque Baasa rex Israël in Judam, et ædificavit Rama, ut non posset quispiam egredi vel ingredi de parte Asa regis Juda.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἀνέβη Βαασὰ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν τὴν Ῥααμὰ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἐκπορευόμενον καὶ εἰσπορευόμενον τῷ Ἀσὰ βασιλεῖ Ἰούδα.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיַּ֨עַל בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יֹצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה
Haydock's commentary
Rama, fortifying it with a wall all round, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. (Haydock)
Rama signifies, "a height." This fort commanded a narrow pass, between the two kingdoms, (Calmet) and cut off all communication; which Baasa dreaded, lest his subjects should return to the service of the true God, and of Juda. (Haydock)
Josue (xviii. 25.) mentions Rama, near Gaboan, (Calmet) about five miles north of Jerusalem. (St. Jerome)
There was another towards the south. (Menochius)
But there the king of Israel would have no power. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, Of the weight of government; and that all manner of adversity is to be despised, and prosperity feared
So much, then, have we briefly said, to shew how great is the weight of government, lest whosoever is unequal to sacred offices of government should dare to profane them, and through lust of pre-eminence undertake a leadership of perdition. For hence it is that James affectionately deters us, saying, Be not made many masters, my brethren ( James iii. 1 ). Hence the Mediator between God and man Himself, He who, transcending the knowledge and understanding even of supernal spirits, reigns in heaven from eternity, on earth fled from receiving a kingdom. For it is written, When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into the mountain Himself alone ( Joh. vi. 15 ). …