BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Mourn

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8242

שַׂק

saq — sackcloth

1) mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking 1a) sack (for grain) 1b) sackcloth 1b1) worn in mourning or humiliation 1b2) same material spread out to lie on

43 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5416

נָתָן

na.tan — Nathan

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.14; son of: David (H1732) and Bathsheba (H1339); brother of: Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727) and Solomon (H8010); half-brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N); father of: Mattatha (G3160) Also named: Nathan (Ναθάν "Nathan" G3481) § Nathan = "giver" 1) a son of David by Bathsheba 2) the eminent prophet in the time of David and Solomon 3) a man of Zobah, father of one of David's mighty warriors 4) father of Azariah who was over the officers of Solomon 5) son of Attai and father of Zabad of the tribe of Judah 6) brother of Joel of the tribe of Judah 7) one of the head men who returned from Babylon with Ezra 8) a man with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra 9) head of a family of Israel who shall mourn when they look on Him whom they pierced

38 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H56

אָבַל

a.val — to mourn

1) to mourn, lament 1a) (Qal) to mourn, lament 1a1) of humans 1a2) of inanimate objects (fig.) 1a2a) of gates 1a2b) of land 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to mourn, cause to mourn (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to mourn 1c2) play the mourner

33 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1993

הָמָה

ha.mah — to roar

1) to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to growl 1a2) to murmur (fig. of a soul in prayer) 1a3) to roar 1a4) to be in a stir, be in a commotion 1a5) to be boisterous, be turbulent

31 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5594

סָפַד

sa.phad — to mourn

1) to wail, lament, mourn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to wail, lament 1a2) wailers (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be lamented, be bewailed

26 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H60

אֵ֫בֶל

e.vel — mourning

1) mourning 1a) for the dead 1b) for rites of mourning (metaph) 1c) mourning garb 1d) period of mourning

21 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7817

שָׁחַח

sha.chach — to bow

1) to bow, crouch, bow down, be bowed down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be bowed down, be prostrated, be humbled 1a2) to bow (in homage) 1a3) to bow (of mourner) 1a4) to crouch (of wild beast in lair) 1b) (Niphal) to be prostrated, be humbled, be reduced, be weakened, proceed humbly, be bowed down 1c) (Hiphil) to prostrate, lay low, bow down 1d) (Hithpolel) to be cast down, be despairing

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5844

עָטָה

a.tah — to enwrap

1) to cover, enwrap, wrap oneself, envelop oneself 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to wrap, envelop oneself 1a2) to cover (the beard in mourning) 1a3) mourner, one who covers (participle) 1b) (Hiphil) to cover, enwrap, envelop

13 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G5180

τύπτω

tuptō — to strike

τύπτω [in LXX chiefly for hi. ;] to strike, smite, beat: with accusative, Mat.24:49, Mrk.15:19, Luk.12:45, Act.18:17 21:32 23:2-3; of mourners, τὰ στήθη, Luk.18:13 23:48; ἐπὶ τ. σιαγόνα, Luk.6:29; εἰς τ. κεφαλήν, Mat.27:30. Metaphorical, of God inflicting evil: Act.23:3 (cf. Exo.8:2, Eze.7:9, al.); of disquieting conscience, 1Co.8:12.† (AS)

12 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4553

מִסְפֵּד

mis.ped — mourning

wailing

12 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6937

קָדַר

qa.dar — be dark

1) to mourn, be dark 1a) (Qal) to be dark 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to darken 1b2) to cause to mourn 1c) (Hithpael) to grow dark

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8245

שָׁקַד

sha.qad — to watch

1) to wake, watch, awake, be alert 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep watch of, be wakeful over 1a2) to be wakeful, wake (as mourner or sufferer)

11 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3996

πενθέω

pentheō — to mourn

πενθέω, -ῶ [in LXX chiefly for אָבַל ;] to mourn (for), lament; (a) intrans. : Mat.5:4 (5) Mat.9:15, 1Co.5:2; π. καὶ κλαίειν, Mat.16:10, Luk.6:25, Jas.4:9, Rev.18:15, 19; before ἐπί, with accusative, Rev.18:11; (b) trans., with accusative, 2Co.12:21.† SYN.: see: θρηνέω (AS)

9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G2875

κόπτω

koptō — to cut/mourn

κόπτω [in LXX for כָּרַת, סָפַד, נָכָה hi., etc. ;] 1. to strike, smite. 2. to cut off: with accusative of thing(s), before ἀπό, Mat.21:8; ἐκ, Mrk.11:8. Mid., to beat one's breast with grief, to mourn, bewail: Mat.11:17 24:30; with accusative of person(s), Luk.8:52 23:27; before ἐπί, with accusative, Rev.1:7 18:9 (cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, ἐκ-, ἐν-, κατα-, προ-, προσ-κόπτω).† SYN.: θρηνέω, q.v (AS)

8 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H57

אָבֵל

a.vel — mourning

1) mourning 1a) for the dead 1b) because of calamity 1c) of rites of mourning 2) mourner (subst.) 2a) for the dead 2b) for calamity

8 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G2351

θόρυβος

thorubos — commotion

θόρυβος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX for הָמוֹן, etc. ;] a noise, uproar, tumult, as of an excited mob: Mat.26:5 27:24, Mrk.14:2, Act.20:1 21:34 24:18; of mourners, = ὄχλος θορυβούμενος, Mrk.5:38.† (AS)

7 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5092

נְהִי

ne.hi — wailing

1) wailing, lamentation, mourning song 1a) wailing 1b) mourning song

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GREEK · G3997

πένθος

penthos — grief

πένθος, -ους, τό [in LXX chiefly for אֵבֶל ;] mourning: Jas.4:9, Rev.18:7-8 21:4.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4526

σάκκος

sakkos — sackcloth

σάκκος also written σάκος, -ου, ὁ (cf. Heb. שַׂק, which it renders in LXX), 1. a coarse cloth, sackcloth, usually made of hair: Rev.6:12. 2. Anything made of sackcloth; (a) a sack (Gen.42:25, al.); (b) a garment of sackcloth, expressive of mourning or penitence: Mat.11:21, Luk.10:13, Rev.11:3.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6428

פָּלַשׁ

pa.lash — to wallow

1) to roll 1a) (Hithpael) to roll in ashes or dust (as an act of mourning)

3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3602

ὀδυρμός

odurmos — mourning

ὀδυρμός, -οῦ, ὁ (ὀδύρομαι, to lament), [in LXX : Jer.31:15 (תַּמְרוּר), 2Ma.11:6 * ;] lamentation, mourning: Mat.2:18 (LXX), 2Co.7:7.† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1417

גְּדוּד

ge.dud — furrow

1) something cut, furrow, cutting 1a) a furrow 1b) cuttings (as a sign of mourning) Also means: ge.du.dah (גְּדוּדָה "furrow" H1418)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5091

נָהָה

na.hah — to wail

1) to wail, lament 1a) (Qal) to wail, lament 1b) (Niphal) to go mourning after

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H578

אָנָה

a.nah — to lament

(Qal) to mourn

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Historical dictionary entry

Frequent references are found in Scripture to, (1.) Mourning for the dead. Abraham mourned for Sarah (Gen. 23:2); Jacob for Joseph (37:34, 35); the Egyptians for Jacob (50:3-10); Israel for Aaron (Num. 20:29), for Moses (Deut. 34:8), and for Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1); David for Abner (2 Sam. 3:31, 35); Mary and Martha for Lazarus (John 11); devout men for Stephen (Acts 8:2), etc. (2.) For calamities, Job (1:20, 21; 2:8); Israel (Ex. 33:4); the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5); Israel, when defeated by Benjamin (Judg. 20:26), etc. (3.) Penitential mourning, by the Israelites on the day of atonement (Lev. 23:27; Acts 27:9); under Samuel’s ministry (1 Sam. 7:6); predicted in Zechariah (Zech. 12:10, 11); in many of the psalms (51, etc.). Mourning was expressed, (1) by weeping (Gen. 35:8, marg.; Luke 7:38, etc.); (2) by loud lamentation (Ruth 1:9; 1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 3:31); (3) by the disfigurement of the person, as rending the clothes (Gen. 37:29, 34; Matt. 26:65), wearing sackcloth (Gen. 37:34; Ps. 35:13), sprinkling dust or ashes on the person (2 Sam. 13:19; Jer. 6:26; Job 2:12), shaving the head and plucking out the hair of the head or beard (Lev. 10:6; Job 1:20), neglect of the person or the removal of ornaments (Ex. 33:4; Deut. 21:12, 13; 2 Sam. 14:2; 19:24; Matt. 6:16, 17), fasting (2 Sam. 1:12), covering the upper lip (Lev. 13:45; Micah 3:7), cutting the flesh (Jer. 16:6, 7), and sitting in silence (Judg. 20:26; 2 Sam. 12:16; 13:31; Job 1:20). In the later times we find a class of mourners who could be hired to give by their loud lamentation the external tokens of sorrow (2 Chr. 35:25; Jer. 9:17; Matt. 9:23). The period of mourning for the dead varied. For Jacob it was seventy days (Gen. 50:3); for Aaron (Num. 20:29) and Moses (Deut. 34:8) thirty days; and for Saul only seven days (1 Sam. 31:13). In 2 Sam. 3:31-35, we have a description of the great mourning for the death of Abner.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Mourn in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →