39 Bible Verses about Tearing Of Clothes

David and all his men tore their clothes in sorrow. They grieved and mourned and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan and for Israel, the people of Jehovah, because so many had been killed in battle.

While they were on their way, David heard this rumor: Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and not a single one is left. The king stood up and tore his clothes. Then he lay down on the ground. All his servants stood beside him with their clothes torn to show their grief.

They kept talking as they walked. Then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them. Elijah was taken up into the physical heaven (the sky) by a whirlwind. Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah: My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone! He never saw Elijah again. In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two.

Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face down on the ground.

They saw him from a distance and did not even recognize him. They cried out loud and wept. Each of them tore his clothes in grief. They threw dust on their heads.

Jacob tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. He mourned for his son a long time.

David told Joab and everyone with him: Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry! David walked behind the coffin on which Abner's body was being carried. Abner was buried in Hebron. David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly.

The priest who is anointed with oil and wears the chief priest's clothes is chief over his brothers. He must never mourn by leaving his hair uncombed or by tearing his clothes. He must not go near any dead bodies or become unclean, even for his father or mother. He must not leave the holy tent of his God. If he does, he will be dishonoring it, because he is dedicated with the anointing oil of his God. I am Jehovah.

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner. They put burning coals and incense in it. Then in Jehovah's presence they offered this unauthorized fire. A fire flashed from Jehovah and burned them. They died in the presence of Jehovah. Moses said to Aaron: This is what Jehovah was speaking about when he said: 'All who serve me must respect my holiness. I will reveal my glory to my people.' But Aaron remained silent.read more.
Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle. He said: Come here and carry your cousins' bodies away from the sacred tent and put them outside the camp. So they came and took hold of the clothing on the corpses. They carried them outside the camp just as Moses had commanded. Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: Do not leave your hair uncombed or tear your clothes to show that you are in mourning. If you do you will die. For Jehovah will be angry with the whole community. But all other Israelites are allowed to mourn this death caused by the fire Jehovah sent. You are Jehovah's chosen priests. You must not leave the sacred tent, or you will die. Aaron and his two sons obeyed Moses.

Jephthah went back home to Mizpah. His daughter came out to meet him, dancing and playing the tambourine. She was his only child. When he saw her, he ripped his clothes in sorrow and said: Oh, my daughter! My heart is breaking! Why must it be you? I have made a solemn promise to Jehovah, and I cannot take it back!

Reuben came back to the pit and found that Joseph was not there. He tore his clothes in sorrow.

Joseph's servant started searching the sacks. They began with the one that belonged to the oldest brother. When he came to Benjamin's sack, he found the cup. This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. They complained to Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?read more.
They said to each other: Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there. At the same time, two of those who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothes in despair. They said to the entire congregation of Israel: The land we explored is very good. If Jehovah is pleased with us, he will take us there and give us that rich and fertile land. Do not rebel against Jehovah. Do not be afraid of the people who live there. We will conquer them easily. Jehovah is with us and has defeated the gods who protected them. Do not be afraid.

They returned to Joshua, and said: Do not send all the people. Send about two or three thousand men to Ai to go up and capture Ai. Do not bother all the people for there are only a few there. So about three thousand men left the people. The men of Ai routed them. The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them: for they chased them going down from before the gate to Shebarim. The heart of the people melted, and became as water. (The Israelites lost their courage and were afraid)read more.
And Joshua ripped his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of Jehovah until evening. He threw dust on his head. The elders of Israel did the same.

The king of Israel walked by on the city wall when a woman cried out: Help me, Your Majesty! The king replied: If Jehovah will not help you, what help can I provide? Where can I get you help from the threshing floor or the wine press? The king asked: What is your trouble? She answered: The other day a woman suggested that we eat my child. Then we could eat her child the next day.read more.
So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him! Hearing this, the king tore his clothes. The people close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.

Then the field commander stood and shouted loudly in the Judean language: Listen to the great king, the king of Assyria. This is what the king says: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot rescue you. Do not let Hezekiah get you to trust Jehovah by saying: 'Jehovah will certainly rescue us, and this city will not be put under the control of the king of Assyria.read more.
Do not listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me! Come out, and give yourselves up to me! Everyone will eat from his own grapevine and fig tree and drink from his own cistern. Then I will come and take you away to a country like your own. It is a country with grain and new wine, a country with bread and vineyards. Do not let Hezekiah mislead you by saying to you: 'Jehovah will rescue us. Did any of the gods of the nations rescue their countries from the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they rescue Samaria from my control? Did the gods of these countries indeed rescue them from my control? Could Jehovah then rescue Jerusalem from my control?' They were silent and did not say anything to him because the king commanded them not to answer him. Then Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief. They told him the message from the field commander. King Hezekiah heard it and he tore his clothes. He covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of Jehovah. Hezekiah sent Eliakim the palace administrator along with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They said to him: Hezekiah says: 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke and rejection. Children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver. Perhaps Jehovah your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh. His master the king of Assyria has sent him to reproach the living God! He will rebuke the words Jehovah your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that survives.' So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. Isaiah said to them: Say to your master: 'Jehovah says: Do not be afraid because of the words you have heard from the servants of the king of Assyria. For they have blasphemed me. Listen! I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.' Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah. He had heard a report that the king had left Lachish. He heard this concerning Tirhakah king of Cush: He has come out to fight against you. So he sent messengers to Hezekiah and said: Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you. He says to you: Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries. He destroyed them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my forefathers deliver them? And what about the gods 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 Sepharvaim, or of Hena or Ivvah?' Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. He went to the temple of Jehovah and spread it out before Jehovah. Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah:

A man with crippled feet sat in Lystra. He had never walked for he was lame from birth. He heard Paul speaking. Paul looked intently at him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice: Stand up on your feet! And he leaped up and walked.read more.
Seeing what Paul did, the crowd lifted up their voice, saying in Lycaonian: The gods have come down to us, becoming like men. They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter whose temple was there in the city, brought cattle and garlands to the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they ripped their clothes, and ran in among the people. They said: Sirs, why do you do these things? We are only men like you. We bring you good news. You should turn from these worthless things to the living God. He is the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things. In the past he let all nations to walk in their own ways. He has not left himself without witness. For he did good and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Even with these words they found it hard to keep the crowd from sacrificing to them.

Ahab said to Elijah: Have you come face to face with me, O my enemy? Elijah said: I have come to you because you have given yourself up to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah. Jehovah says to you: I will bring disaster on you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young and old alike. Your family will become like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. This is because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin.read more.
Concerning Jezebel, Jehovah says: Dogs will eat her body in the city of Jezreel. Dogs will eat your relatives dying in the city. Vultures will eat your dead relatives in the country. No one else devoted himself so completely to doing wrong in Jehovah's sight as Ahab all at the urging of his wife Jezebel. He committed the most shameful sins by worshiping idols the way the Amorites had done. Jehovah drove the Amorites from the land as the people of Israel advanced. Elijah finished speaking. Ahab tore his clothes and took them off. He dressed in sackcloth. He refused food (fasted) and slept in the sackcloth. He was gloomy and depressed.

Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He took the scroll from the side room of the scribe Elishama. Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials standing by the king. It was the ninth month, and the king was in his winter house sitting in front of the fire in the fireplace. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe's knife and throw them into the fire in the fireplace. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up.read more.
The king and all his attendants did not show any fear or tear their clothes in fear when they heard everything being read.

Even now, said Jehovah, turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning! Rip apart your heart, and not your garments. Turn to Jehovah your God! He is gracious and merciful. He is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness. He will turn back from doing harm. Who knows whether he will turn back, feel regret and leave a blessing behind him, a meal offering and a drink offering to Jehovah your God?

Jesus said nothing. The high priest said to him: I put you on oath, by the living God, that you will tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him: You said it yourself. And I say to you, after this 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 ripped his robes apart and said: He has said evil against God! Why do we need more witnesses? You have heard his words of blasphemy!

But he kept quiet and said nothing. Again the high priest questioned him: Are you the Christ, the son of the Holy One? Jesus said: I am and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Violently parting his robes, the high priest said: What need do we have for more witnesses?

If the priest finds that the mildew has not spread on the object, he will order that it be washed and put away for another seven days. He shall examine it again and if the mildew has not changed color, even though it has not spread, it is still unclean. You must burn the object, whether the rot is on the front or the back.read more.
When the priest examines it again, the mildew has faded; he will tear it out of the clothing or leather. Then if the mildew reappears, it is spreading again, and the owner must burn the object. If he washes the object and the spot disappears, he should wash it again. It will be ritually clean.

Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. Samuel said to him: Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He gave it to someone who is a better man than you.

This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

At the same time, two of those who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothes in despair.

And Joshua ripped his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of Jehovah until evening. He threw dust on his head. The elders of Israel did the same.

When he saw her, he ripped his clothes in sorrow and said: Oh, my daughter! My heart is breaking! Why must it be you? I have made a solemn promise to Jehovah, and I cannot take it back!

Tamar tore the robe she was wearing. She put ashes on her head. Then she covered her face with her hands. She cried loudly as she walked away.

Elijah finished speaking. Ahab tore his clothes and took them off. He dressed in sackcloth. He refused food (fasted) and slept in the sackcloth. He was gloomy and depressed.

Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah: My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone! He never saw Elijah again. In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two.

When the prophet Elisha heard what happened, he sent word to the king: Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me. I will show him that there is a prophet in Israel!

Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah tore their clothes in grief. They reported to the king what the Assyrian official had said.

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

I humbled myself before God at the evening offering. I got up, with signs of grief, and fell on my knees with my hands stretched out to Jehovah my God,

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes in anguish. Then he dressed in sackcloth, covered his head with ashes, and walked through the city, wailing loudly and bitterly,

Eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and cuts were on their bodies. They brought grain offerings and incense to Jehovah's Temple.

Then the high priest ripped his robes apart and said: He has said evil against God! Why do we need more witnesses? You have heard his words of blasphemy!

When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they ripped their clothes, and ran in among the people.