'Ashes' in the Bible
Then Abraham answered, “Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord—even though I am dust and ashes—
Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze.
He will remove its digestive tract, cutting off the tail feathers, and throw it on the east side of the altar at the place for ashes.
The priest is to put on his linen robe and linen undergarments. He is to remove the ashes of the burnt offering the fire has consumed on the altar, and place them beside the altar.
Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and bring the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place.
“They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,
“A man who is clean is to gather up the cow’s ashes and deposit them outside the camp in a ceremonially clean place. The ashes must be kept by the Israelite community for preparing the water to remove impurity; it is a sin offering.
Then the one who gathers up the cow’s ashes must wash his clothes, and he will remain unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner who resides among them.
For the purification of the unclean person, they are to take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and add fresh water to them.
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away crying out.
He gave a sign that day. He said, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar will now be ripped apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.’”
The altar was ripped apart, and the ashes poured from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and the whole heavenly host. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.
When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.
There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict came. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.
Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.
He throws me into the mud,and I have become like dust and ashes.
Therefore I take back my wordsand repent in dust and ashes.
He spreads snow like wool;He scatters frost like ashes;
The peoples will be burned to ashes,like thorns cut down and burned in a fire.
He feeds on ashes.His deceived mind has led him astray,and he cannot deliver himself,or say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”
Will the fast I choose be like this:A day for a person to deny himself,to bow his head like a reed,and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?Will you call this a fastand a day acceptable to the Lord?
to provide for those who mourn in Zion;to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,festive oil instead of mourning,and splendid clothes instead of despair.And they will be called righteous trees,planted by the Lordto glorify Him.
The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
They raise their voices over youand cry out bitterly.They throw dust on their heads;they roll in ashes.
You profaned your sanctuariesby the magnitude of your iniquitiesin your dishonest trade.So I made fire come from within you,and it consumed you.I reduced you to ashes on the groundin the sight of everyone watching you.
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Hosts.