39 Bible Verses about Tearing Of Clothes

On hearing this, David grabbed his clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were attending to him. They mourned and wept, and then decided to fast until dusk for Saul, for his son Jonathan, for the army of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen in battle.

While they were still on the road, this rumor came to David: "Absalom has struck down all of the king's sons and none of them has survived." David arose, ripped his clothes in anguish, and collapsed to the ground while all of his staff stood by with their own clothes torn.

As they continued on, talking as they went, suddenly chariots blazing with fire and pulled by fiery horses appeared, separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a wind storm to heaven! As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!" Then he did not see Elijah anymore.

Then Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, bowed very low,

Observing him from a distance, at first they didn't even recognize him, so they raised their voices and burst into tears. They each ripped their robes, threw ashes into the air on their heads,

So Jacob tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then mourned many days for his son.

David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." King David walked behind the funeral procession, and they buried Abner at Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner's grave, and all the people wept, too.

"The high priest among his relatives whose head has been anointed with oil and who has been consecrated to put on the priestly clothing is not to let his hair hang loose or to tear his clothes. He is not to come near any dead body whether the deceased is his father or his mother so as not to defile himself. He is not to go out of the sanctuary or defile the sanctuary of his God, because his God's consecrating oil of anointing rests on him. I am the LORD.

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, placed fire in it, covered it with incense, and brought it into the LORD's presence as unauthorized fire that he had never prescribed for them. As a result, fire came out from the LORD's presence and incinerated them. They died while in the LORD's presence. Moses spoke with Aaron about what the LORD had said: "Among those who are near me, I'll show myself holy so that I'll be glorified before all people." So Aaron remained silent.read more.
Then Moses called on Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle, and said, "Come here and carry your brothers away from the sanctuary, outside the camp." So they approached to carry them in their tunics outside the camp, just as Moses had commanded. Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "You are not to loosen the hair of your head and you are not to rend your clothes. That way, you won't die and wrath won't come on the entire congregation. Your brothers and the assembly of Israel will mourn because of the fire that the LORD kindled. Also, you are not to leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Otherwise, you'll die, since the LORD's anointing oil remains on you." So they followed Moses' instructions.

When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah surprise! it was his daughter who came out to meet him, playing tambourines and dancing. She was his one and only child. Except for her, he had no other son or daughter. When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and cried out, "Oh no! My daughter! You have terribly burdened me! You've joined those who are causing me trouble, because I've given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.

Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn't there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes,

The palace manager searched for the cup, beginning with the oldest brother's sack and ending with the youngest brother's sack, and there it was! in Benjamin's sack. At this, they all tore their clothes, reloaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

At this, the entire assembly complained, started to shout, and cried through the rest of that night. All the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron. Then the entire assembly responded, "We wish that we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness. What's the point in the LORD bringing us to this land? To die by the sword so our wives and children would become war victims? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"read more.
Then they told each other, "Let's assign a leader and go back to Egypt." Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel. Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, "The land that we went through and explored is very, very good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he'll bring us into this land and give it to us. It flows with milk and honey. However, don't rebel against the LORD or be afraid of the people who live in the land, because we'll gobble them right up. Their defenses will collapse, because the LORD is with us. You are not to be afraid of them."

returned to Joshua. "Not all of the people need to go up," they reported. "Only about two or three thousand men should attack Ai. Since they are so few, don't make all of the army work hard up there." So about three thousand went up there, but they ran away from the men of Ai. The men of Ai killed about 36 of them, pursuing them outside the city gates as far as Shebarim, killing them as they descended. As a result, the army became terrified and lost their confidence. read more.
At this, Joshua tore his clothes, fell down to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening he and the leaders of Israel and they covered their heads with dust.

While the king of Israel was walking along the city wall, a woman cried out to him. "Help me, your majesty!" she said. He replied, "No! Since the LORD won't give you victory, how will I be able to deliver you? From the threshing floor? From the wine press?" Then the king asked her, "What's bothering you?"read more.
She said, "This woman told me, "Give up your son, and we'll eat him today, and we'll eat your son tomorrow.'" So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day, I told her, "Give me your son so we can eat him!' But she has hidden her son!" When the king heard what the woman said, he ripped his garments as he continued walking along the city wall. As the people watched, all of a sudden they noticed he was wearing sackcloth underneath his clothes, inside next to his flesh!

Then the commander stood up and shouted out loud in Hebrew: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king of Assyria says: "Don't let Hezekiah deceive you for he cannot save you! Don't let Hezekiah persuade you to rely on the LORD when he says, "The LORD will really deliver us!" and "This city will never be handed over to the king of Assyria!" read more.
Don't listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: "Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then everyone will eat from his own vine and from his own fig tree, and everyone will drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land to a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.' Be careful not to let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, "The LORD will save us." Has any god of any nation ever delivered his country from the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sephar-vaim? Have they saved Samaria from me? Who among all the gods of these countries has delivered their land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from me?'" But the people remained silent and didn't respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, "Don't answer him." Then Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph's son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said. As soon as Hezekiah the king heard this, he tore his clothes, dressed himself in sackcloth, and went into the LORD's Temple. Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all wearing sackcloth, to Amoz's son, the prophet Isaiah. "Here is what Hezekiah says," they told him. "This day is a day of trouble, rebuke, and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no energy to deliver them. Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to mock the living God, and perhaps he will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard. So lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives in this city." That's why King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah. "Here is what to tell your master," Isaiah told them. "This is what the LORD says: "Don't be afraid of the words you've heard those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have insulted me. Watch this! I'm going to place an attitude within him, so that when he hears a certain report, he'll return to his own country. Then I'll have him cut down by the sword in his own land." So the field commander returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, since he had heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. Now King Sennacherib had received this report concerning King Tirhakah of Cush: "He has marched out to fight against you." When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah: "Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: "Don't let your God on whom you depend deceive you when he says, "Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria." Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all countries, dooming them to destruction. So do you think you will be saved? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my ancestors save them the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden, who were in Tel-assar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephar-vaim, or of Hena, or of Ivvah, or of Samaria?'" Hezekiah received the letters from the messengers, and read them. Then he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread the letters in front of the LORD. Hezekiah prayed to the LORD:

Now in Lystra there was a man sitting down who couldn't use his feet. He had been crippled from birth and had never walked. He was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul watched him closely, and when he saw that he had faith to be healed, he said in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" Then the man jumped up and began to walk.read more.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us!" They began to call Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, because he was the main speaker. The priest of the temple of Zeus, which was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates. He and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings with natures like yours. We are telling you the good news so you'll turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, yet he has not abandoned his witness: he continues to do good, to give you rain from heaven, to give you fruitful seasons, and to fill you with food and your hearts with joy." Even by saying this, it was all Paul and Barnabas could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

Later on, Ahab asked Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" But Elijah answered, "I've found you because you sold yourself to do what the LORD considers to be evil! Now pay attention! I'm going to send evil in your direction! I will completely sweep you away and eliminate from Ahab every male, whether indentured servant or free, throughout Israel. I will make your household resemble that of Nebat's son Jeroboam, or like the household of Ahijah's son Baasha, because of how you've provoked me to anger and made Israel to sin. read more.
The LORD also has this to say about Jezebel: "Dogs will eat Jezebel within the outer ramparts of Jezreel. Dogs will eat whoever belongs to Ahab and who dies in the city. The birds of the sky will eat whoever dies in the fields.'" It can be truly said that no one else sold himself to practice what the LORD considered to be evil quite like the way Ahab did, because his wife Jezebel incited him. His behavior in pursuing idolatry was detestable, just like the Amorites had done whom the LORD had expelled in front of the army of Israel. Nevertheless, as soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and wandered around meekly.

The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the office of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi read it to the king and to all the officials who were standing beside the king. The king was sitting in the winter palace in the ninth month and a stove was burning in front of him. As Jehudi would read three or four columns, the king would cut it with a scribe's knife and throw it into the fire which was in the stove, until all the scroll was burned in the fire in the stove. read more.
The king and all his officials who were listening to these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments.

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Turn back to me with your whole heart, with fasting, tears, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil. Who knows? He will turn back and relent, will he not, leaving behind a blessing, even a grain offering and drink offering for the LORD your God?"

But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest told him, "I command you by the living God to tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!" Jesus told him, "You have said so. Nevertheless I tell you, from now on you will see "the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power' and "coming on the clouds of heaven.'" Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!

But he kept silent and didn't answer at all. The high priest asked him again, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I AM, and "you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and "coming with the clouds of heaven.'" Then the high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we still need witnesses?" he asked.

"But if the priest examines it and the infection did not spread on the clothing, either in the woven or knitted material or on anything made of leather, then the priest is to command that they wash whatever has the contagion and then isolate it for seven days a second time. Then the priest is to examine it after the contagion has been washed. If the contagion hasn't changed in appearance, even though the contagion hasn't spread, it's unclean. Incinerate it. It's a fungal infection, especially if the infection is on its exposed side.read more.
"If the priest examines the item and determines that the contagion has become dull after it has been washed, tear it away from the garment, leather, woven material, or knitted material. But if it recurs on the clothing (whether woven or knitted material) or on any article made of leather, it's a breakout, so incinerate it with fire wherever the contagion is found. Then the clothing (whether it is woven or knitted material) or any article made of leather that you've washed, if the contagion has been removed from it and it's washed a second time, then it's clean.

As Samuel turned to go Saul seized him by the corner of his robe, and it tore. Samuel told him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

At this, they all tore their clothes, reloaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Nun's son Joshua and Jephunneh's son Caleb, who had accompanied the others who also had explored the land, tore their clothes

At this, Joshua tore his clothes, fell down to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening he and the leaders of Israel and they covered their heads with dust.

When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and cried out, "Oh no! My daughter! You have terribly burdened me! You've joined those who are causing me trouble, because I've given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.

Tamar rubbed her head with ashes, tore her tunic that she was wearing, put her hand to her head, and ran off, crying aloud as she went away.

Nevertheless, as soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even slept in sackcloth and wandered around meekly.

As Elisha continued to watch, he cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and its cavalry!" Then he did not see Elijah anymore.

When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king and asked, "Why did you tear your clothes? Please, let the man come visit me and he will learn that there is a prophet in Israel!"

But Hilkiah's son Eliakim, who managed the household, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph's son Joah the recorder came back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what Rab-shakeh had said.

As soon as he heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes.

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I arose from my discouragement. Still in my torn garment and robe, I fell to my knees with my hands outstretched to the LORD my God,

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

eighty men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria came with their beards shaved, their clothes torn, and their bodies slashed. They had grain offerings and incense with them to present at the LORD's Temple.

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Listen! You yourselves have just heard the blasphemy!

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,