Topical Bible: The Dead: Mourning For, often: Lasted Many Days

◄ The Dead: Mourning For, often: Lasted Many Days ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, mourning for the dead was a significant and extended process, deeply rooted in the cultural and religious practices of the Israelites. The period of mourning was marked by various rituals and expressions of grief, often lasting many days, reflecting the profound loss experienced by the community and the family of the deceased.

Old Testament Practices

The Old Testament provides numerous examples of extended mourning periods. One of the most notable instances is the mourning for Jacob, which lasted seventy days. Genesis 50:3 states, "They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days." This extended period of mourning highlights the respect and honor given to Jacob, not only by his family but also by the Egyptians.

Similarly, the mourning for Moses lasted thirty days. Deuteronomy 34:8 records, "The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end." This period allowed the Israelites to express their sorrow and reflect on the leadership and legacy of Moses.

The mourning for Aaron, Moses' brother, also lasted thirty days, as noted in Numbers 20:29 : "When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days." This communal mourning underscored the significant role Aaron played as the high priest and leader.

Expressions of Mourning

Mourning in biblical times involved various expressions of grief, including weeping, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. These acts were outward manifestations of inner sorrow and repentance. For instance, in 2 Samuel 1:12 , David and his men mourned for Saul and Jonathan by fasting and weeping: "They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword."

The tearing of garments was another common expression of mourning. In Genesis 37:34 , Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth after believing that his son Joseph was dead: "Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days."

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not emphasize extended mourning periods as prominently as the Old Testament, it acknowledges the practice and the deep emotional impact of loss. In John 11:17-19 , when Jesus arrived in Bethany after the death of Lazarus, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary, indicating a period of mourning and support from the community.

Cultural and Religious Significance

The extended mourning periods in biblical times were not only expressions of personal grief but also served as communal events that reinforced social bonds and religious beliefs. Mourning allowed individuals and communities to honor the deceased, reflect on their lives, and seek comfort in God's promises. The practices surrounding mourning were deeply embedded in the cultural and religious fabric of the Israelite society, providing a structured way to process loss and find hope in the midst of sorrow.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 37:34
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 50:3,10
And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him three score and ten days.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Mystery
... when they were already almost half dead with drought ... the earth with every plague
as often as they ... that the preaching of those hitherto-mourning persons should ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery.htm

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
... Many a scene of horror must he have witnessed ... Cross, since the punishment of crucifixion
often lasted not only ... for the after-removal of the dead bodies, which ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv crucified dead and.htm

Another Portrait Gallery
... Even the very dead may rise from the grave to ... make merry until a few hours later
when mourning apparel is ... He had fallen so often, and been obliged to return to ...
/.../chapter xxi another portrait gallery.htm

The Teaching of Add??us the Apostle.
... throne of His righteousness, and judge the dead and the ... church, such as had been
the mourning when Add??us ... bend itself," "bow down" (*** and is often used of ...
/.../unknown/the decretals/ancient syriac documents the teaching.htm

Contentment
... Their learning may open up dead languages to those who ... the Jeremiahs of our race;
they do not often know an ... They grow up to mourning, and each year's suffering ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/contentment.htm

The Touch of Faith and the Touch of Christ
... music and the shrill shrieks of Eastern mourning, which met ... as men count death, and,
as has often been the ... Lazarus from the grave, having been dead four days. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the touch of faith and.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... of the burning of Sardes; and as it lasted for a ... Immortals were cut to pieces round
his dead body, while ... were restored to order, and, as was often customary in ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Death and the Raising of Lazarus - the Question of Miracles ...
... seemed otherwise - and in similar circumstances it often does seem ... ground, or were
busy preparing the mourning meal ... As the company left the dead, each had taken ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxi the death and.htm

The Healing of the Man Born Blind.
... Thus, as so often, the machinations of the enemies of Christ led to ... on the ground,
and bear himself like one in deep mourning. ... Henceforth he was like one dead. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the healing of.htm

From his Entrance on the Ministry in 1815, to his Commission to ...
... a Christian traveller may see his own mourning countenance reflected ... I have often
wondered at the cause which drove ... seems like a voice from the dead, because I ...
/.../chapter ii from his entrance.htm