MOURN

Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 37: 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (0:3); 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); devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2), etc.

(2.) For calamities, Job (1:20, 1: 21;2:8); Israel (Exo 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, Gen. 35: marg.; Luke 7:38, Luke 7: 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; Psa 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 (Exo 33:4; Deut. 21:12, Deut. 21: 13; 2-Sam 14:2;19:24; Matt. 6:16, Matt. 6: 17), fasting (2-Sam 1:12), covering the upper lip (Lev. 13:45; Micah 3:7), cutting the flesh (Jer. 16:6, Jer. 16: 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, 2-Sam 3: we have a description of the great mourning for the death of Abner.