Bible Dictionary
Mourn
To mourn is to express sorrow over death, calamity, or sin. Biblical mourning could include weeping, fasting, lamentation, sackcloth, ashes, silence, and other outward signs of grief and repentance.
Definition
To mourn is to express sorrow over death, calamity, or sin. Biblical mourning could include weeping, loud lamentation, torn clothing, sackcloth, dust or ashes, fasting, silence, and other outward signs of grief or repentance.
Biblical Usage
Scripture describes mourning for the dead, national and personal calamity, and penitence. Individuals, Israel, foreign peoples, and religious communities mourned in response to death, defeat, judgment, and sin.
Historical Background
The duration of mourning varied: Jacob’s mourning lasted seventy days, while mourning for Aaron and Moses lasted thirty days and mourning for Saul seven days. Professional mourners were also employed in later periods.
Scripture References
Genesis 23:2
Numbers 20:29
Deuteronomy 34:8
1 Samuel 25:1
2 Samuel 3:31
2 Samuel 3:35
John 11
Acts 8:2
Exodus 33:4
Jonah 3:5
Judges 20:26
Leviticus 23:27
Acts 27:9
1 Samuel 7:6
Zechariah 12:10
Zechariah 12:11
Genesis 35:8
Luke 7:38
Ruth 1:9
1 Samuel 6:19
Genesis 37:29
Genesis 37:34
Matthew 26:65
Psalms 35:13
2 Samuel 13:19
Jeremiah 6:26
Job 2:12
Leviticus 10:6
Job 1:20
Deuteronomy 21:12
Deuteronomy 21:13
2 Samuel 14:2
2 Samuel 19:24
Matthew 6:16
Matthew 6:17
2 Samuel 1:12
Leviticus 13:45
Micah 3:7
Jeremiah 16:6
Jeremiah 16:7
2 Samuel 12:16
2 Samuel 13:31
2 Chronicles 35:25
Jeremiah 9:17
Matthew 9:23
Genesis 50:3
1 Samuel 31:13
2 Samuel 3:31-35
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron (Num. 20:29), for Moses (Deut. 34:8), and for Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1); David for Abner (2 Sam. 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 (Ex. 33:4); the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5); Israel, when defeated by Benjamin (Judg. 20:26), etc. (3.) Penitential mourning, by the Israelites on the day of atonement (Lev. 23:27; Acts 27:9); under Samuel’s ministry (1 Sam. 7:6); predicted in Zechariah (Zech. 12:10, 11); in many of the psalms (51, etc.). Mourning was expressed, (1) by weeping (Gen. 35:8, marg.; Luke 7:38, etc.); (2) by loud lamentation (Ruth 1:9; 1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 3:31); (3) by the disfigurement of the person, as rending the clothes (Gen. 37:29, 34; Matt. 26:65), wearing sackcloth (Gen. 37:34; Ps. 35:13), sprinkling dust or ashes on the person (2 Sam. 13:19; Jer. 6:26; Job 2:12), shaving the head and plucking out the hair of the head or beard (Lev. 10:6; Job 1:20), neglect of the person or the removal of ornaments (Ex. 33:4; Deut. 21:12, 13; 2 Sam. 14:2; 19:24; Matt. 6:16, 17), fasting (2 Sam. 1:12), covering the upper lip (Lev. 13:45; Micah 3:7), cutting the flesh (Jer. 16:6, 7), and sitting in silence (Judg. 20:26; 2 Sam. 12:16; 13:31; Job 1:20). 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 Chr. 35:25; Jer. 9:17; Matt. 9:23). The period of mourning for the dead varied. For Jacob it was seventy days (Gen. 50:3); for Aaron (Num. 20:29) and Moses (Deut. 34:8) thirty days; and for Saul only seven days (1 Sam. 31:13). In 2 Sam. 3:31-35, we have a description of the great mourning for the death of Abner.