Raamah to Ruth
Dictionary of Bible Names

References
Ezekiel 27:22

Raamses
Read our dedicated article on this topic.

Rabbah
Great
Strong's #H7237

There are two Biblical cities named Rabbah. The first was located in the territory given to the tribe of Benjamin. The second was east of the Jordan River on a major north-south route called the King's Highway. It is this Rabbah that became the modern city of Amman which is the capital of Jordan.

References
Joshua 13:25, 15:60, 2Samuel 11:1, 12:26 - 29, 17:27, 1Chronicles 20:1, Jeremiah 49:2 - 3, Ezekiel 25:5, Amos 1:14

Rabsaris
Eunuch, chief chamberlain
Strong's #H7249

Rabsaris is more of a descriptive title than a personal name. A Rabsaris (or Rab-saris) was the chief or "great" eunuch who served the king.

References
2Kings 18:17, Jeremiah 39:3, 13

Rabshakeh
Chief butler
Strong's #H7262

Rabshakeh was one of Assyrian King Sennacherib's officers who were sent to demand the immediate surrender of Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Judah, at the time of this demand, was ruled by King Hezekiah.

References
2Kings 18:17 - 37, 19:4 - 8, Isaiah 36:11 - 22, 37:4 - 8

Rachel
Ewe, sheep
Strong's #H7354, #G4478

Rachel was the youngest daughter of Laban and Jacob's (Israel's) favorite wife. Jacob agreed to work seven years for Laban in order to marry her but was deceived into first marrying Rachel's older sister Leah instead. He then willing chose to work a total of fourteen years in order to wed her.

Rachel, after being healed of being barren, gave birth to Joseph. She later became the first woman recorded in the Bible as dying in childbirth when she gave birth to Benjamin.

Rahab (Rachab)
Proud, wide, breadth, boaster, bluster
Strong's #H7343, 7293, 7294, #G4460, 4477

Rahab the harlot's name in Joshua 2:1, 3, 6:17, 23 and 25 is derived from the Hebrew word that means "proud" or "wide" (Strong's #H7343). In the King James New Testament her name is spelled Rachab in Matthew 1:5 and means "wide" as well (Strong's #G4477). Although Hebrews (Hebrews 11:31) and James (James 2:25) also refer to her, they take her name from Strong's #G4460 which, like above, also means "wide."

Matthew states Jesus' lineage through Joseph included Salmon who, with Rahab, gave birth to Boaz (Booz in the King James). It was Boaz who married Ruth and produced Obed (Ruth 4:21), a man who would become King David's grandfather.

Rahab received and assisted the spies sent by Joshua to gather information about Jericho before its destruction.

Rahab (Rachab) holds the distinction of being one of four gentile (non-Jewish) women in Jesus' lineage through Joseph (Matthew 1:5). The other gentiles in Matthew's genealogy are Thamar (1:3), Ruth (1:5) and Bathsheba (1:6).

The word Rahab recorded in Psalm 87:4 and 89:10 is derived from Strong's #H7294 meaning "breadth" or "boaster." The Rahab of Isaiah 51:9 comes from Strong's #H7293 and means "bluster" or "blusterer."

Rakkath
Shore, diffusing, beach
Strong's #H7557

Rakkath was a city given to the tribe of Naphtali as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 19:35

Rakkon
The temple, thinness
Strong's #H7542

Rakkon was a city given to the tribe of Dan as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 19:46

There are at least three Biblical cities with the name Ramah. One of these is located in Naphtali's territory and another in Asher's. A third Ramah, which is spelled Rama in the King James New Testament, is located within the tribe of Benjamin's territory (1Samuel 10:2).

Ramah in Benjamin is the birthplace, home and burial location of the prophet Samuel. Herod the Great's slaughter of all Bethlehem (and the surrounding area) males two years old or younger, in an attempt to kill Christ, fulfilled prophecy involving Ramah (see Jeremiah 31:15).

Ramathaimzophim
Double height of the watchers
Strong's #H7436

Ramathaimzophim is possibly another name for Ramah, the birthplace of Samuel the prophet.

References
1Samuel 1:1

Ramathlehi
See our listing for Lehi.

Ramathmizpeh
High place (height) of watch tower
Strong's #H7434

Ramathmizpeh was a city given to the tribe of Gad as an inheritance in the Promised Land.

References
Joshua 13:26

Ramoth
Heights, elevations, He is Most High
Strong's #H7216, #H3406

Ramoth, a town east of the Jordan River in Gilead, was one of the six cities of refuge set up by ancient Israel.

A man named Ramoth, whose name is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "elevations" or "He is Most High" (Strong's #H3406), is listed as a son of Bani by Ezra (Ezra 10:29).

References
Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, 21:38, 1Samuel 30:27, 1Kings 22:3, 1Chronicles 6:73, 80, Ezra 10:29

Ramoth-gilead
Read our dedicated article on this topic.

Rebekah
Ensnarer, to clog
Strong's #H7259

Rebekah, the sister of Laban, was the wife of Isaac. She was healed of being barren after her and her husband prayed to God. She gave birth to twins boys named Esau and Jacob (later Israel).

References
Genesis 22:23, 24:15 - 67, 25:20 - 28, 26:7 - 35, 27:5 - 46, 28:5, 29:12, 35:8, 49:31

Red Sea
Read our dedicated article on this topic.

Rehob
Broad place
Strong's #H7340

Rehob was the king of Zobah whose son was defeated by King David near the Euphrates River. Another man named Rehob was a witness to a covenant made by Nehemiah the prophet.

Rehob was also the name of two cities within the tribe of Asher's territory.

References
Numbers 13:21, Joshua 19:28, 30, 21:31, Judges 1:31, 2Samuel 8:3, 12, 10:8, 1Chronicles 6:75, Nehemiah 10:11

Rehoboam
A people has enlarged
Strong's #H7346

Rehoboam was the son of King Solomon who became the first ruler over the Kingdom of Judah after Israel split into two separate pieces in 930 B.C.

Rehoboam, at the age of 41, was the oldest known king to assume the throne in either Judah or Israel. He reigned from 930 to 917 B.C.

Rephidim
Ballusters, rests, stays, resting places
Strong's #H7508

Rephidim was one of the places Israel camped at after leaving Egyptian bondage. The first post-Exodus war God's people fought occurred in Rephidim when the Amalekites carried out an unprovoked attack on Israel's weakest people (women, children, the elderly, those who are sick, etc.).

Rephidim is also the place where Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, advises him to delegate his responsibilities to others.

Resen
Bridle
Strong's #H7449

Resen was one of the many cities built by Nimrod.

References
Genesis 10:12

References
Genesis 11:18 - 21, 1Chronicles 1:25

Reuben
Behold a son
Strong's #H7205

Reuben is the firstborn of Jacob through Leah. Jacob, on his deathbed, cursed him after he committed adultery with his wife Bilhah (she was Rachel's handmaid). After Reuben was deprived of his birthright it was given to Joseph's two sons Manasseh and Ephraim who lived in Egypt.

References
Genesis 29:32, 30:14, 35:22 - 23, 37:21 - 29, 42:22, 37, 46:8 - 9, 48:5, 49:3 - 4, Exodus 1:2, etc.

Rezeph
A hot stone
Strong's #H7530

Rezeph was a city, near the Euphrates River, the Assyrians conquered. The taking of the city was used by the Assyrians, in 701 B.C., as a warning to Judah's King Hezekiah not to trust in God to save the city of Jerusalem.

References
2Kings 19:12, Isaiah 37:12

Rezin
Firm
Strong's #H7526

Rezin was the king of Damascus who, with Israel's King Pekah as an ally, attacked the Kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. Judah's King Ahaz, however, solicited the help of Assyria's Tiglath-pileser who ended the threat against him and Jerusalem.

References
2Kings 15:37, 16:5 - 9, Ezra 2:48, Nehemiah 7:50, Isaiah 7:1 - 8, 8:6, 9:11

Rhegium
Breach
Strong's #G4484

Rhegium was the first Italian mainland city reached by the Apostle Paul, during his fourth missionary journey, as he was escourted to Rome as a prisoner.

Rhoda
Rose
Strong's #G4498

Rhoda was a servant girl at Mary's (Mark's mother) house in Jerusalem. She is the person who answered the door after Peter was miraculously freed from Herod Agrippa's prison.

References
Acts 12:13

Rhodes
Read our dedicated article on this topic.

Riblah
Fertility, to be fruitful
Strong's #H7247

Riblah was an ancient Syrian town near the border of Babylonia.

References
Numbers 34:11, 2Kings 23:33, 25:6, 25:20 - 21, Jeremiah 39:5 - 6, 52:9 - 10, 26 - 27

Rimmon
Pomegranate
Strong's #H7417

The city of Rimmon (possibly spelled Remmon, Joshua 19:7) was given to the tribe of Simeon as an inheritance in the Promised Land. A large rock named Rimmon was the place where Benjamites fled from their vengeful fellow Israelites.

A man named Rimmon was the father of Rechab and Baanah, two men who murdered Israel's king Ishbosheth in his bed. Rimmon is also the name of a pagan God reverved by the Syrians. Naaman the Syrian, miraculously cured by Elisha the prophet of leprosy, worshipped this deity.

Rithmah
Heath
Strong's #H7575

Rithmah was one of the places Israel camped at after leaving Egyptian bondage.

References
Numbers 33:18 - 19

Rome
Read our dedicated article on this topic.

Rufus
Red
Strong's #G4504

Rufus was one of the two sons of Simon the Cyrenian. Simon was compelled by the Romans to help Jesus bear a heavy crossbeam as he traveled to his crucifixion.

The Apostle Paul sent greetings to a man named Rufus in the last chapter of Romans.

References
Mark 15:21, Romans 16:13

Rumah
Height
Strong's #H7316

Rumah was a city, whose exact location is still unknown, where Judah's King Jehoiakim's mother lived.

References
2Kings 23:36

Ruth
Friend, friendship
Strong's #H7327, #G4503

Ruth was a non-Israelite (gentile) woman who married an Israelite named Boaz. Through their son Obed they became the great-grandparents of King David. She is one of only two woman whose writings becames a book of the Bible.

Ruth also holds the distinction of being one of four gentile (non-Jewish) women in Jesus' lineage through Joseph (Matthew 1:5). The other gentiles in Matthew's genealogy are Thamar (1:3), Rachab (Rahab the harlot, 1:5) and Bathsheba (1:6).

Her listing is even more unique when one recognizes that absent from Matthew's genealogy are several other Biblically important women. These include Sarah (Abraham's wife), Rebekah (Isaac's wife) and Leah (through whom Jacob had Judah, the tribe which made Jesus a Jew).