Mourning

How Nave’s arranged it

• For the dead
• Head uncoveredLeviticus 10:6Leviticus 21:10
• Lying on the ground2 Samuel 12:16
• Personal appearance neglected2 Samuel 14:2
• Cutting the fleshLeviticus 19:28Leviticus 21:1–5Deuteronomy 14:1Jeremiah 16:6Jeremiah 16:7Jeremiah 41:5
• LamentationsGenesis 50:10Exodus 12:301 Samuel 30:4Jeremiah 22:18Matthew 2:17Matthew 2:18
• Fasting1 Samuel 31:132 Samuel 1:122 Samuel 3:35
• Priests prohibited, except for the nearest of kinLeviticus 21:1–11
• For Nadab and Abihu forbiddenLeviticus 10:6
• Sexes separated inZechariah 12:12Zechariah 12:14
• Hired mourners2 Chronicles 35:25Ecclesiastes 12:5Jeremiah 9:17Matthew 9:23
• Abraham mourned for SarahGenesis 23:2

The passages, in Bible order (80)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 23:2

   She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 23:22 voices

   “Abraham's mourning for her; and he was a true mourner. He did not only perform the ceremonies of mourning according to the custom of those time, as the mourners that go about the streets, but he did sincerely lament the great loss he had of a good wife, and gave proof of the constancy of his affection to her to the last. Two words are used: he came both to mourn and to weep.

   “And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba. It appears from Joshua 15:54, that this was the more ancient name of the city, which afterwards began to be called Hebron. But there is a difference of opinion respecting the etymology.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 23:2→

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2. Genesis 37:29

   When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Genesis 37:34

   Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 37:341 voice

   “Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins--the common signs of Oriental mourning. A rent is made in the skirt more or less long according to the afflicted feelings of the mourner, and a coarse rough piece of black sackcloth or camel's hair cloth is wound round the waist.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 37:34→

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4. Genesis 38:14

   she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 38:142 voices

   “Some excuse this by suggesting that she believed the promise made to Abraham and his seed, particularly that of the Messiah, and that she was therefore desirous to have a child by one of that family, that she might have the honour, or at least stand fair for the honour of being the mother of the Messiah.

   “(Verse 14) And he sat at the gate of Enaim, which is on the road to Thamna. The Hebrew phrase Enaim (), is translated as 'in the eyes.' Therefore, it is not a place name, but rather a description. He sat at a crossroads or a junction where a traveler must carefully look to choose the right path.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 38:14→

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5. Genesis 44:13

   Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

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6. Genesis 50:1–3

   Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 50:1–31 voice

   “The departed soul is out of the reach of our tears and kisses, but with them it is proper to show our respect to the poor body, of which we look for a glorious and joyful resurrection. Thus Joseph showed his faith in God, and love to his father, by kissing his pale and cold lips, and so giving an affectionate farewell.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 50:1–3→

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7. Genesis 50:10

   When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 50:101 voice

   “The threshing-floor of Atad - As אטד atad signifies a bramble or thorn, it has been understood by the Arabic, not as a man’s name, but as the name of a place; but all the other versions and the Targums consider it as the name of a man. Threshing-floors were always in a field, in the open air; and Atad was probably what we would call a great farmer or chief of some clan or tribe in that place. Jerome supposed the place to have been about two leagues from Jericho; but we have no certain information on this point.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 50:10→

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8. Exodus 12:30

   During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 12:301 voice

   “There was a great cry - No people in the universe were more remarkable for their mournings than the Egyptians, especially in matters of religion; they whipped, beat, tore themselves, and howled in all the excess of grief. When a relative died, the people left the house, ran into the streets, and howled in the most lamentable and frantic manner. See Diod. Sicul., lib. i., and Herod., lib. ii., c. 85, 86. And this latter author happening to be in Egypt on one of their solemnities, saw myriads of people whipping and beating themselves in this manner, lib. ii., c.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 12:30→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Exodus 33:4

   When the people heard these bad tidings, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 33:41 voice

   “Note, Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, that which true penitents most lament, and dread most, is God's departure from them. God had promised that, notwithstanding their sin, he would give them the land flowing with milk and honey. but they could have small joy of that if they had not God's presence with them.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 33:4→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Exodus 33:6

    So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

    ›Commentary on Exodus 33:61 voice

    “By the mount Horeb - From Mount Horeb onward. They ceased to wear their ornaments from the time they were at Mount Horeb.

    Everything gathered on Exodus 33:6→

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11. Leviticus 10:6

    Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 10:62 voices

    “Uncover not your heads--They who were ordered to carry out the two bodies, being engaged in their sacred duties, were forbidden to remove their turbans, in conformity with the usual customs of mourning; and the prohibition "neither rend your garments," was, in all probability, confined also to their official costume.

    “Uncover not your heads, etc. - They were to use no sign of grief or mourning, 1. Because those who were employed in the service of the sanctuary should avoid every thing that might incapacitate them for that service; and, 2. Because the crime of their brethren was so highly provoking to God, and so fully merited the punishment which he had inflicted, that their mourning might be considered as accusing the Divine justice of undue severity.

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 10:6→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Leviticus 13:45

    A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 13:452 voices

    “The leper was to carry about with him the usual signs of mourning for the dead. Compare Lev 10:6 and margin reference. The leper was a living parable in the world of the sin of which death was the wages; not the less so because his suffering might have been in no degree due to his own personal deserts: he bore about with him at once the deadly fruit and the symbol of the sin of his race. Exo 20:

    “As to "the putting a covering upon the upper lip," that means either wearing a moustache, as the Hebrews used to shave the upper lip [CALMET], or simply keeping a hand over it. All these external marks of grief were intended to proclaim, in addition to his own exclamation "Unclean!" that the person was a leper, whose company every one must shun.

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 13:45→

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13. Leviticus 19:28

    You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 19:282 voices

    “Any cuttings in your flesh for the dead - That the ancients were very violent in their grief, tearing the hair and face, beating the breast, etc., is well known. Virgil represents the sister of Dido “tearing her face with her nails, and beating her breast with her fists.” “Unguibus ora soror foedans, et pectora pugnis.” Aen., l. iv., ver. 6

    “Eating upon the blood, as the Gentiles did, who gathered the blood of their sacrifices into a vessel for their demons (as they fancied) to drink, and then sat about it, eating the flesh themselves, signifying their communion with devils by their feasting with them.

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 19:28→

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14. Leviticus 21:1–5

    Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people,

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 21:1–52 voices

    “Among his people - None of the priests shall touch the dead body, or assist at his funeral, or eat of the funeral feast. The reason of this law is evident, because by such pollution they were excluded from converse with men, to whom by their function they were to be serviceable upon all occasions, and from the handling of holy things.

    “There shall none be defiled for the dead - No priest shall assist in laying out a dead body, or preparing it for interment. Any contact with the dead was supposed to be of a defiling nature, probably because putrefaction had then taken place; and animal putrefaction was ever held in detestation by all men.

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 21:1–5→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Leviticus 21:10

    The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments.

    ›Commentary on Leviticus 21:102 voices

    “The garments - Those holy garments, which were peculiar to him. Shall not uncover his head - This being then the posture of mourners, chap. x, 6, though afterwards the custom was changed and mourners covered their heads, 2 Sam. xv, 30, Esth vi, 12.

    “He that is the high priest - This is the first place where this title is introduced; the title is very emphatic, הכהן הגדול haccohen haggadol, that priest, the great one. For the meaning of כהן cohen, see the note on Gen 14:18. As the chief or high priest was a representative of our blessed Lord, therefore he was required to be especially holy; and he is represented as God’s king among the people.

    Everything gathered on Leviticus 21:10→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Numbers 14:6

    Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes

    Verse page →Original language →