Bible Dictionary

A Visit With Jesus
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Sackcloth

Jewish Life & Customs • Both
Sackcloth was coarse, dark cloth commonly made from goat hair. It was used for sacks and worn as a sign of mourning, humiliation, or repentance.
Biblical Usage
Biblical figures wore sackcloth in grief and mourning, sometimes next to the skin. It also signified repentance, and the people of Nineveh put it upon their animals.
Scripture References
Genesis 37:34 Genesis 42:25 2 Samuel 3:31 Esther 4:1 Esther 4:2 Psalms 30:11 Matthew 11:21 Jonah 3:8 Isaiah 50:3 Revelation 6:12 1 Kings 21:27 2 Kings 6:30 Job 16:15 Isaiah 32:11