Library Home>All Articles>“S” Articles>Sackcloth. (#142394)

Sackcloth.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 10

Made of coarse hair. Matt. 3:4⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4), with 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).

Rough and unsightly. Zech. 13:4⁴And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: (Zechariah 13:4).

Of a black color. 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).

WAS WORN

By God's prophets. 2 Kin. 1:8. Isa. 20:2²At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. (Isaiah 20:2). Matt. 3:4⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4). Rev. 11:3³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:3).

By persons in affliction. Neh. 9:1¹Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. (Nehemiah 9:1). Psa. 69:11¹¹I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. (Psalm 69:11). Jonah 3:5⁵So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. (Jonah 3:5).

Girt about the loins. Gen. 37:34³⁴And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. (Genesis 37:34). 1 Kin. 20:31.

Frequently next the skin in deep affliction. 1 Kin. 21:27. 2 Kin. 6:30. Job 16:15¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. (Job 16:15).

Often over the whole person. 2 Kin. 19:1, 2.

With ashes on the head. Esther 4:1¹When 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; (Esther 4:1).

Often with ropes on the head. 1 Kin. 20:31.

In the streets. Isa. 15:3³In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly. (Isaiah 15:3).

At funerals. 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).

The Jews lay in, when in deep affliction. 2 Sam. 21:10¹⁰And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. (2 Samuel 21:10). 1 Kin. 21:27. 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).

No one clothed in, allowed into the palaces of kings. Esther 4:2²And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. (Esther 4:2).

ILLUSTRATIVE

(Girding with,) of heavy afflictions. Isa. 3:24²⁴And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. (Isaiah 3:24). Isa. 22:12¹²And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: (Isaiah 22:12). Isa. 32:11¹¹Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. (Isaiah 32:11).

(Covering the heavens with,) of severe judgments. Isa. 50:3³I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. (Isaiah 50:3).

(Heavens becoming black as,) of severe judgments. 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).

(Putting off,) of joy and gladness. Psa. 30:11¹¹Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; (Psalm 30:11).

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.

Previous Article

“S” Articles

• Sacerdotalism and the Confessional

• Sacerdotes, don y oficio

• Sack of Bibles, The

• Sackcloth.

• Sacrament or Savior

• Sacramental Dispute, The

• Sacramental Efficacy so Called.

• Sacramentarian Controversy, The

• Sacramentarian Question, The

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: 1

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: 2

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: 3

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: 4

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: 5

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: Part 1

• Sacraments (So-Called), The: Part 2