Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Context:Mourning in the Bible is a profound expression of grief, sorrow, or lamentation, often in response to death, sin, or calamity. It is a natural human response to loss and is depicted throughout Scripture as a time of reflection, repentance, and seeking God's comfort.
Old Testament References:Mourning is a significant theme in the Old Testament, often associated with death and national calamity. In
Genesis 23:2, Abraham mourns for Sarah, his wife: "And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her." Mourning customs included wearing sackcloth, putting ashes on one's head, and fasting (
2 Samuel 1:12).
The Israelites mourned for Moses for thirty days in the plains of Moab (
Deuteronomy 34:8). Mourning was also a response to sin and disobedience, as seen in the book of Joel, where the prophet calls for a sacred assembly to mourn and repent: "Put on sackcloth and mourn, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, for the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God" (
Joel 1:13).
New Testament References:In the New Testament, mourning takes on a spiritual dimension, emphasizing repentance and the promise of comfort. Jesus, in the Beatitudes, declares, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (
Matthew 5:4). This mourning is often understood as a sorrow for sin and the brokenness of the world, with the assurance of divine comfort and restoration.
The Apostle Paul speaks of godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (
2 Corinthians 7:10). Mourning in this context is transformative, leading believers to a deeper relationship with God.
Cultural and Religious Practices:Mourning practices in biblical times were both personal and communal. They included lamentation, fasting, and public displays of grief. The book of Lamentations is a poetic expression of mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem, capturing the depth of sorrow and the hope for God's mercy.
In Jewish tradition, mourning periods such as "shiva" continue to reflect the biblical emphasis on community support and reflection during times of loss. The Bible encourages believers to "mourn with those who mourn" (
Romans 12:15), highlighting the importance of empathy and shared sorrow within the body of Christ.
Theological Significance:Mourning in the Bible is not only an expression of grief but also an opportunity for spiritual growth and renewal. It acknowledges the reality of suffering and the need for God's intervention. The promise of comfort for those who mourn points to the hope of redemption and the ultimate restoration of all things through Christ.
The prophetic vision in Revelation speaks of a time when mourning will cease: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away" (
Revelation 21:4). This eschatological promise assures believers of a future where sorrow is replaced by eternal joy in the presence of God.
Strong's Hebrew
56. abal -- to mourn... Definition to mourn NASB Word Usage caused lamentations (1), grieve (1), grieved
(1), lament (1), mourn (13), mourned (7), mourning (3),
mourns (10), pretend
...5594. saphad -- to wail, lament
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to wail, lament NASB Word Usage beat (1), lament
(9), lamented (5), mourn (8), mourned (6), mourners (1),mourns (1)....
Library
How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which...
... And one whomourns past transgressions, yet forsakes them not, subjects himself
to the penalty of more grievous sin, since he both despises the very pardon...
Beauty for Ashes
... Naturemourns.... I have broken God's just commandments, I have done evil against my
God, I have destroyed my soul; my heart feels this, and bitterlymourns....
Impure Loves Ascribed to the Gods.
... But when the "father of men and gods"mourns for his son,". "Woe, woe!... and
is not able while hemourns to rescue him from his peril:"....
A Song of Comfort.
... by Catherine Winkworth, 1869. Zionmourns in fear and anguish,. Zion, city of our
God:... Safely borne within His heart. "Once," shemourns, "He promised plainly....
The Weeping Saviour.
... If the Architectmourns over the destruction of some favourite edifice which the
storm has swept down, or the fire has wrapt in conflagration and reduced to...
Blessed are they that Mourn
... 2 There is a diabolical mourning and that is twofold: When a manmourns that he
cannot satisfy his impure lust, this is like the devil, whose greatest torture...
Apart
... They were to look upon Christ whom their sins had put to death, and they were to
mourn for him as onemourns for his only son, and to be in bitterness for him...
The Necessity of Diligently Seeking the Saints' Rest.
... The authormourns the neglect, and excites the reader to diligence, by considering,
1. The ends we aim at, the work we have to do, the shortness and...
Repentance More Competent to Heathens than to Christians.
... there its corresponding place where sin is committed with conscience and will, where
both the fault and the favour are intelligible; that he whomourns, he who...
First Day. Compassion.
... home which death has entered, where "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not," and where
some sobbing heart, under the tattered garb of poverty,mourns, unsolaced and...
Thesaurus
Mourns (13 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Mourns (13 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 19:1 It was told Joab,
"Behold, the king weeps and
mourns for Absalom." (WEB DBY NAS).
...Languishes (11 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV). Isaiah 24:4 The earthmourns and fades away. The world languishes
and fades away.... (WEB RSV NIV). Isaiah 24:7 The new winemourns....
Languish (13 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 24:4 The earthmourns and fades away.... The landmourns, for the grain is
destroyed, The new wine has dried up, and the oil languishes....
Mouse (2 Occurrences)
Parched (37 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Jeremiah 12:11 They have made it a desolation; itmourns to me, being
desolate; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart....
Dried (66 Occurrences)
... (WEB ASV DBY). Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of
swearing the landmourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up....
Unjustly (11 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing
the landmourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up....
Laments (4 Occurrences)
... (See RSV NIV). Psalms 35:14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or
my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one whomourns his mother. (See RSV)....
Lays (30 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Jeremiah 12:11 They have made it a desolation; itmourns to me, being desolate;
the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart....
Lamentations (6 Occurrences)
... threnoi = Hebrews qinoth) now in common use, to denote the character of the book,
in which the prophetmourns over the desolations brought on the city and the...
Resources
What does “blessed are those who mourn” mean? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Bildad the Shuhite's message to Job? | GotQuestions.orgIs Zechariah 12:10 a Messianic prophecy? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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