sackcloth

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(coarse cloth). A coarse, goat-hair cloth used for making sacks and rough garments. The latter were worn next the skin by mourners and repentants (Gen. 37:34; 42:25³⁴And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. (Genesis 37:34)
²⁵Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. (Genesis 42:25); 2 Sam. 3:31³¹And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier. (2 Samuel 3:31); 1 Kings 21:27²⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. (1 Kings 21:27); 2 Kings 6:30³⁰And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. (2 Kings 6:30); Esther 4:1-2¹When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; ²And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. (Esther 4:1‑2); Job 16:15¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. (Job 16:15); Isa. 50:3³I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. (Isaiah 50:3); Rev. 6:12¹²And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (Revelation 6:12)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

A rough cloth made of hair, of which sacks and coarse clothing was made. When put on as a symbol of sorrow or repentance it was worn next the skin, and not taken off at night: it was often associated with ashes (1 Kings 21:27²⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. (1 Kings 21:27); 2 Kings 6:30³⁰And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. (2 Kings 6:30); Job 16:15¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. (Job 16:15); Joel 1:13¹³Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. (Joel 1:13); Rev. 6:12¹²And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (Revelation 6:12)).

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Independence Arch and Peking Pass, Seoul, Korea—mourner in sackcloth in foreground.

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

4526 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

σάκκος

Transliteration:

sakkos

Phonic:

sak’-kos

Meaning:

of Hebrew origin (8242); "sack"-cloth, i.e. mohair (the material or garments made of it, worn as a sign of grief)

KJV Usage:

sackcloth