mourning in the Bible

Frequent references are found in Scripture to…

  1. MOURNING FOR THE DEAD—Abraham mourned for Sarah (Genesis 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34-35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron (Numbers 20:29), for Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8), and for Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1); David for Abner (2 Samuel 3:31, 35); Mary and Martha for Lazarus (John 11); devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2), etc.

  2. FOR CALAMITIES—Job (1:20-21; 2:8); Israel (Exodus 33:4); the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5); Israel, when defeated by Benjamin (Judges 20:26), etc.

  3. PENITENTIAL MOURNING—by the Israelites on the day of atonement (Leviticus 23:27; Acts 27:9); under Samuel's ministry (1 Samuel 7:6); predicted in Zechariah (Zechariah 12:10-11); in many of the psalms (51, etc.).

Mourning was expressed by…

  1. weeping (Genesis 35:8, marginal note; Luke 7:38, etc.)
  2. loud lamentation (Ruth 1:9; 1 Samuel 6:19; 2 Samuel 3:31)
  3. the disfigurement of the person, as rending the clothes (Genesis 37:29, 34; Matthew 26:65)
  4. wearing sackcloth (Genesis 37:34; Psalm 35:13)
  5. sprinkling dust or ashes on the person (2 Samuel 13:19; Jeremiah 6:26; Job 2:12)
  6. shaving the head and plucking out the hair of the head or beard (Leviticus 10:6; Job 1:20)
  7. neglect of the person, or the removal of ornaments (Exodus 33:4; Deuteronomy 21:12-13; 2 Samuel 14:2; 19:24; Matthew 6:16-17)
  8. fasting (2 Samuel 1:12)
  9. covering the upper lip (Leviticus 13:45; Micah 3:7)
  10. cutting the flesh (Jeremiah 16:6-7)
  11. sitting in silence (Judges 20:26; 2 Samuel 12:16; 13:31; Job 1:20)

Professional mourners

In the later times, we find a class of mourners who could be hired to give by their loud lamentation the external tokens of sorrow (2 Chronicles 35:25; Jeremiah 9:17; Matthew 9:23).

Mourning period

THE PERIOD OF MOURNING for the dead varied. For Jacob it was seventy days (Genesis 50:3); for Aaron (Numbers 20:29) and Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8) thirty days; and for Saul only seven days (1 Samuel 31:13). In 2 Samuel 3:31-35, we have a description of the great mourning for the death of Abner.

More information

Article Version: June 4, 2019