Reference: Mourning Customs
Hastings
The Oriental expression of grief has a twofold relationship. Towards God it is marked by silent and reverent submission symbolized by placing the hand on the mouth. 'The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away' (Job 1:21); 'I was dumb
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And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh. And they fasted seven days.
And David chanted this death dirge over Saul and over his son Jonathan. And he said to teach the sons of Judah The Song of the Bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher: read more. The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places! How are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, do not let it be known in the streets of Askelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Mountains of Gilboa, let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings. For there the shield of the mighty has been evilly cast away, the shield of Saul not being anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and with delights; who put ornaments of gold on your clothes. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant you have been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, more than the love of women. How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Tear your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier.
And the king mourned over Abner and said, Did Abner die like a fool dies? Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him.
And David arose from the earth and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and came into the house of Jehovah and worshiped. And he came to his house, and commanded, and they brought bread before him and he ate.
And he laid his body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
And he said, I came naked out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away. Blessed be the name of Jehovah.
And Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, and they each one came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had met together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and did not know him, they lifted up their voice and wept. And each one tore his robe, and they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward Heaven. read more. And they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights. And no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
They shall mourn for the breasts, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
So says Jehovah of Hosts, Think carefully, and call for the wailers, that they may come. And send for the wise women, that they may come; and let them make haste and take up a weeping for us, so that our eyes may run down with tears, and waters flow from our eyelids.
Therefore so says Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, They shall not mourn for him, saying, Ah, my brother! or, Ah, sister! They shall not mourn for him, saying, Ah, lord! or, Ah, his glory!
For these I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who could refresh my soul is far from me. My sons are desolated because the enemy prevails.
Streams of water run down my eye for the ruin of the daughter of my people. My eye flows out and does not cease, from there being no intermission,
And He brought me to the opening of the gate of Jehovah's house, toward the north. And behold, women were sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.
At the sound of the cry of your sailors the open lands will shake. And all who handle the oar, the mariners, all the sailors of the sea, shall come down from their ships. They shall stand on the land, read more. and shall cause their voice to be heard against you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall throw dust on their heads. They shall wallow themselves in the ashes. And they will be bald for you, and gird with sackcloth. And they shall weep for you with bitterness of soul, a bitter wailing. And in their wailing they shall lift up a lamentation and lament over you, saying, Who is like Tyre; as she who is quiet in the midst of the sea? When your goods went out from the seas, you filled many people. With the plenty of your riches and your goods you enriched the kings of the earth. At this time you are broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters, your goods and all your company in your midst have fallen. All the residents of the coastlands are appalled at you, and their kings are horribly terrified; their faces tremble. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have become terrors. And you shall not be forever.
So Jehovah, the God of Hosts, the Master, says this: Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! Alas! And they shall call the tiller to mourning, and those who are skillful in mourning to wailing.
Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like jackals, mourn like the daughters of an ostrich.
And when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, of a sad face. For they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to fast. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, read more. so that you do not appear to men to fast, but to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.
And He came to the synagogue ruler's and saw a tumult, and weeping and much wailing.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to the fountains of living waters. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.