Mourn
Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (Gen 37:34, Gen 37:35); the Egyptians for Jacob (Gen 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, 2 Sam 3:35); Mary and Martha for Lazarus (John 11:1–57); devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2), etc.
(2.) For calamities, Job (Job 1:20, Job 1:21; Job 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, Zech 12:11); 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, Gen 37:34; 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, Deut 21:13; 2 Sam 14:2; 2 Sam 19:24; Matt 6:16, Matt 6:17), fasting (2 Sam 1:12), covering the upper lip (Lev 13:45; Mic 3:7), cutting the flesh (Jer 16:6, Jer 16:7), and sitting in silence (Judg 20:26; 2 Sam 12:16; 2 Sam 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.
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
