Why tear clothes in bible

Or a widow might wear a dark veil after the passing of her husband to cover her face during her time of sadness. In the Bible, many individuals ripped apart their clothes to express strong emotion such as shame, anger, or mourning. Let's take Reuben, for example. Genesis says that when Reuben found out that his brothers had sold Joseph off as a slave, he was shocked and 'ripped his garments apart'.

A few days later when their father, Jacob, was tricked into believing that his son Joseph had been killed by a wild animal, he too ripped his garment apart. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. Job also 'ripped apart his garment' when he heard that all his children had been killed Job 1: Before bringing the tragic news to Eli that the Israelites had been defeated in the battle and that Eli''s sons had been killed, a messenger ripped his clothes apart 1 Samuel Because clothes in Bible times were usually very expensive everything was hand made, no mass production like today , this was often a sacrificial act.

Skip to content Q: Why did people tear their clothes in the Bible? Similarly, when a President passes away or a tragedy strikes one part of our nation, we often lower the American flag to half-mast as a sign of sadness and respect. All of these are cultural expressions of grief and sadness. In the Ancient Near East, one of the primary ways people expressed their grief was by tearing their clothes. This practice is common in the Bible, and it can be confusing at times to those who don't understand the symbolism behind the action.

To avoid confusion, then, let's take a deeper look at some of the stories in which people tore their clothes. Reuben is the first person recorded in the Bible as tearing his clothes. He was the oldest son of Jacob, and one of the 11 brothers who betrayed Joseph and sold him as a slave to traders bound for Egypt.

Reuben wanted to save Joseph but was unwilling to stand up to his other siblings. Reuben planned to rescue Joseph in secret from the cistern or pit the brothers had thrown him into. But after finding out that Joseph had been sold as a slave, he reacted in a passionate display of emotion:.

Only a few verses later, Jacob —the father of all 12 children, including Joseph and Reuben -- responded in a similar way when he was tricked into believing that his favorite son had been slain by a wild animal:. Jacob and his sons weren't the only folks in the Bible who practiced this particular method of expressing grief. In fact, many people are recorded as tearing their clothes in a variety of situations, including the following:. What was it about tearing one's clothes that signified deep grief or sadness?

Sitting at His feet. Rend your heart. Die to your name. Die to your reputation. Die to your pride. Die to everything. Jesus made himself of no reputation. And He said rend your hearts, and not your garment. Remember me. Sign Up. Financial Accountability. Our Conferences.