Jeremiah 31:15 - Herod Kills Children

This seems like a strange statement to declare that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Herod killing infant boys. But then, it should come to no surprise that the verse cited has nothing to do with that.

In chapter 29, the prophet talks about the Judeans going into exile, to Babylon, ruled by king Nebuchadnezzar.  He claims that the exile will last for 70 years (29:10)/.

In chapter 30, the prophet talks about how God will have mercy on the exiles and return them home one day (30:3). The exiled ones are screaming and crying. God promises to make an end (destroy) of all of the nations to whom God has dispersed.

In chapter 31 it is a call out to God to return the Judeans to their homeland, and there's a poetic expression of Rachael (31:15) the matriarch crying for her children who are in exile from the land. It does not say that her children are dead, only:

"Thus says YHVH; A voice is heard in Ramah. Wailing. Bitter weeping. It is Rachael weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her [loss of] her children who are gone."

And the next verse that the apologist leaves out:

31:16 - "Thus says God; refrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from shedding tears; For there is a reward for your labor, declares YHVH; they shall return from the enemy's land [of Babylon]."

In other words, Jeremiah 31:15 is not a prophecy about Herod killing babies, but rather, about the matriarch of the Jewish people mourning that her descendants are captives in Babylon, and wants them returned home. And her cries are heard, and YHVH promises to bring them back.

So the style here is: "Out of context, eisegesis, an irrelevant association, and, of course, Jesus didn't fulfill any part of this by any stretch of the imagination."

The meme used: