Genesis 37:34
in Genesis 37Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
KJV
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
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This verse in Genesis 37
Commentary
3 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
put sackcloth around his waist
on Genesis 37:34-36
Jacob puts on sackcloth and refuses every comfort his sons offer, and they know exactly where the boy is. He says he will go down to Sheol mourning for his son. He does go down to his son, into Egypt and alive, at Genesis 46:29. The chapter's last line puts Joseph alive in Potiphar's house.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Jacob rent his clothes,....
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרַ֤ע | vaiyikra' | and he tore | H7167 → | 63 times |
| יַעֲקֹב֙ | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו | simlotav | clothes his | H8071 → | 29 times |
| וַיָּ֥שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| שַׂ֖ק | sak | sackcloth | H8242 → | 49 times |
| בְּמָתְנָ֑יו | bematenav | on loins his | H4975 → | |
| וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל | vaiyitabel | and he mourned | H56 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּנ֖וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יָמִ֥ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רַבִּֽים׃ | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
וַיִּקְרַ֤עand he tore
vaiyikra'H7167 →63 times
יַעֲקֹב֙Jacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יוclothes his
simlotavH8071 →29 times
וַיָּ֥שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
שַׂ֖קsackcloth
sakH8242 →49 times
בְּמָתְנָ֑יוon loins his
bematenavH4975 →
וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥לand he mourned
vaiyitabelH56 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בְּנ֖וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
יָמִ֥יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
רַבִּֽים׃many
rabimH7227 →454 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nehemiah 9:1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
it leads to
- Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 13:2–3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
- Ezra 8:23
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.
- Nehemiah 8:2
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
- 1 Samuel 4:12
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
- Joshua 7:6
Through
Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
it leads to
- 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
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 37:29
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
- Numbers 14:6
Through
Genesis 37:29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
it leads to
- Job 1:20
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
- Job 1:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.