Verse

Genesis 37:34

ESV Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.
NIV Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
NASB So Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
CSB Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
NLT Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time.
KJV And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
NKJV Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

What does Genesis 37:34 mean?

Jacob's deceitful sons have convinced him that his beloved Joseph is dead, killed by a wild animal (Genesis 37:31–33). As they must have anticipated, Jacob takes the news very badly. Joseph was the firstborn of his dear wife, Rachel (Genesis 30:22–24), and Jacob's clear favorite (Genesis 37:3–4). His heart is fully broken. Mourning for the dead often included the tearing of clothing and wearing of sackcloth.

Formal mourning for a child may have lasted a week or even a month. As the following verses show, Jacob refused to stop his mourning long past the normal number of days. His family will react with concern (Genesis 37:35), though the brothers know there is nothing they can do to restore Joseph now (Genesis 37:28). Such is the impact of Jacob's grief that Judah, years later, will bargain to become a captive to stop Jacob from losing another of Rachel's sons (Genesis 44:18, 30–34).
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