Topical Encyclopedia In ancient Near Eastern cultures, including those depicted in the Bible, burial customs were significant social and religious practices. Among these customs was the employment of hired mourners, individuals who were paid to lament and express grief at funerals. This practice is referenced in several biblical passages and provides insight into the cultural and religious milieu of the times.Biblical References and Context The practice of hiring mourners is alluded to in the Old Testament, particularly in the prophetic literature. Jeremiah 9:17-18 states, "This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Consider and call for the mourning women to come. Send for the most skillful among them. Let them come quickly and take up a lament over us, that our eyes may overflow with tears and our eyelids may stream with water.'" This passage highlights the role of professional mourners, often women, who were skilled in the art of lamentation and were called upon to lead the community in mourning. In the New Testament, the presence of hired mourners is implied in the account of Jairus' daughter. Mark 5:38-39 describes the scene: "When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. He went inside and asked, 'Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.'" The "commotion" and "wailing" suggest the presence of professional mourners, a common practice in Jewish funerary customs of the time. Cultural and Religious Significance The employment of hired mourners served several purposes. It provided a structured way to express grief and ensured that the deceased was honored with an appropriate level of mourning, regardless of the family's personal ability to express such emotions. This practice also reflected the communal nature of mourning in ancient Israelite society, where the death of an individual was a collective loss. Hired mourners were often skilled in composing and performing dirges, which were poetic expressions of sorrow. These dirges could include elements of the deceased's life, virtues, and the community's loss, thus personalizing the mourning process. The presence of professional mourners also underscored the seriousness of death and the hope for divine intervention or comfort. Theological Implications From a theological perspective, the use of hired mourners can be seen as a reflection of the human need to confront and express grief. Mourning is a natural response to death, and the Bible acknowledges this through its narratives and laws. Ecclesiastes 3:4 states, "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance," recognizing the seasons of life and the appropriateness of mourning. Furthermore, the practice of hiring mourners can be viewed in light of the biblical emphasis on community. The shared experience of grief and the communal support provided by mourners align with the biblical call to "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). This communal aspect of mourning reflects the interconnectedness of God's people and the importance of bearing one another's burdens. In summary, the practice of hiring mourners in biblical times was a culturally and religiously significant custom that facilitated the expression of grief, honored the deceased, and reinforced the communal bonds within the society. Through the lens of Scripture, it highlights the human need for mourning and the role of community in the process of healing and remembrance. Torrey's Topical Textbook Jeremiah 9:17,18Thus said the LORD of hosts, Consider you, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: Torrey's Topical Textbook Library In Death and after Death Particulars Abraham, his Trial in Egypt; his Humility The Political Constitution of Egypt Resources What is the importance of the empty tomb? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Joseph of Arimathea? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of the cave of Machpelah? | GotQuestions.org Burial: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Burial for Criminals, Marked by Heaps Burial of Enemies, Sometimes Performed by the Conquerors Burial of Persons Embalmed, Deferred for Seventy Days Burial of Persons Hanged, Always on the Days of Execution Burial of the Friendless, a Kind Act Burial were Ceremonially Unclean Burial: An Ignominious, Compared to the Burial of an Ass Burial: Antiquity of Coffins For Burial: Antiquity of Purchasing Places For Burial: Attended by Family of the Dead Burial: Attended by Female Friends Burial: Attended by Great Lamentation At Burial: Attended by Hired Mourners Burial: Attended by Numbers of Friends Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends of Jacob Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Abner Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Child of Jeroboam Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: Stephen Burial: Attended by Relatives and Friends: The Son of the Widow of Nain Burial: Burial of Gog (Multitude) Requiring Seven Months Burial: Burying Places for Poor and Strangers Burial: Burying Places in Caves Burial: Burying Places in Gardens Burial: Burying Places in Houses Burial: Burying Places in Valleys Burial: Burying Places of Kings Burial: Burying Places with Shelves Burial: Burying Places: A Place of Honor Burial: Burying Places: And Inscriptions Burial: Burying Places: Anyone Who Touched, Were Unclean Burial: Burying Places: Bought by Abraham Burial: Burying Places: Closed With Stones Burial: Burying Places: Demoniacs Lived In Burial: Burying Places: Family Burial: Burying Places: Joseph Burial: Burying Places: King Saul's Burial: Burying Places: Marked With Pillars, Rachel's Burial: Burying Places: On Hills Burial: Burying Places: Painted and Garnished Burial: Burying Places: Refused to the Dead Burial: Burying Places: Robbed Burial: Burying Places: Sealed Burial: Burying Places: Under Trees, Deborah's Burial: Directions Given About, Before Death by Jacob Burial: Directions Given About, Before Death by Joseph Burial: Frequently Prepared and Pointed out During Life Burial: Held in High Veneration Burial: Illustrative of Regeneration Burial: Members of a Family Interred in the Same Burial: Often Desecrated by Idolatry Burial: Often Took Place Immediately After Death Burial: Orations Sometimes Made At Burial: Places Used for Caves Hewn out of Rocks Burial: Places Used for Gardens Burial: Places Used for Houses of the Deceased Burial: Places Used for Natural Caves Burial: Places Used for The City of David for the Kings of Judah Burial: Places Used for Tops of the Hills Burial: Places Used for Under Trees Burial: Privation of, Considered a Calamity Burial: Privation of, Threatened As a Punishment Burial: Provided for Aliens and Strangers Burial: Provided for the Common People Burial: Sometimes had Inscriptions Burial: Sometimes not Apparent Burial: The Body Was: Anointed For Burial: The Body Was: Carried on a Bier To Burial: The Body Was: Preserved With Spices Burial: The Body Was: Sometimes Burned Before Burial: The Body Was: Washed Before Burial: The Body Was: Wound in Linen For Burial: The Jews Anxious to be Interred in Their Family Places of Burial: The Right of all Nations Burial: Visited by Sorrowing Friends Related Terms |
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