Genesis 37:34

Genesis 37:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

Context of Genesis 37:34

32They took the coat back to their father and they told him, ‘We found this coat. Look at it. Tell us if it is your son's coat.’ 33Jacob saw that it was Joseph's coat. He said, ‘It is my son's coat! A wild animal must have eaten him! The animal has torn Joseph's body into pieces.’ Jacob was so upset that he tore his own clothes. He put on clothes made from sackcloth to show how sad he was. He wept for many days because his son had died. 35All Jacob's sons and daughters came to comfort him. But Jacob was very sad, so they could not make him happy. Jacob said, ‘I will be sad until the day that I die, because my son is dead.’ Jacob wept because Joseph was dead. 36While this was happening, the Midianites took Joseph into Egypt. They sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers. Potiphar had authority over all of Pharaoh's guards.

Genesis 37:34 word by word

וַיִּקְרַ֤ע יַעֲקֹב֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם שַׂ֖ק בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his clothesשִׂמְלָהώimlâh · mantleH8071
• and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
• upon his loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
• and mournedאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
• for his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for Genesis 37:34

• Genesis 37:29Later, Reuben returned to the dry well. He saw that Joseph was not there. He tore his clothes because he was very upset.
• Joshua 7:6Joshua was so upset that he tore his clothes. He fell with his face to the ground in front of the Lord's Covenant Box. He stayed there until evening time, together with the Israelite leaders. They all put dirt on their heads.
• 2 Samuel 1:11Then David tore his clothes because he was very upset. The men who were with him did the same thing.
• 2 Samuel 3:31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ‘Tear your clothes! Wear sackcloth to show that you are sad! Weep because of Abner's death.’ King David himself walked behind the men who carried Abner's dead body.
• 1 Kings 20:31Some of Ben-Hadad's officers said to him, ‘We have heard that the family of kings who rule Israel are kind men. We should show that we are sorry. We will tie sackcloth around our bodies. We will put ropes around our heads. Then maybe King Ahab will let you live.’
• 1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard Elijah's message, he tore his clothes into pieces. He dressed himself in sackcloth and he did not eat any food. He even wore sackcloth when he slept on his bed. He walked slowly with a sad face.
• 2 Kings 19:1When King Hezekiah heard the report of his officers, he tore his clothes. Then he put on rough sackcloth and he went into the Lord's temple.
• 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and he saw the Lord's angel. The angel was standing between the earth and the sky. He had his sword in his hand and it was pointing towards Jerusalem. David and the leaders fell down with their faces towards the ground. They were wearing clothes that were made of rough sackcloth.
• Ezra 9:3When I heard this, I was very upset. I tore my shirt and my coat. I pulled out hair from my head and my beard. I was angry and ashamed. I sat down.
• Nehemiah 9:1On the 24th day of the same month, the Israelite people met together. They did not eat or drink. They wore sackcloth and they put dust on their heads.
• Esther 4:1Mordecai discovered what Haman had done. He tore his clothes and he dressed in sackcloth and ashes, because he was very upset. He went into the city. He cried and he wept loudly as he went.
• Job 1:20When Job heard this news he was very upset. He tore his clothes and he cut off all his hair. Then he bent down low on the ground to worship God.
• Job 2:12When they could see Job from far away, they did not easily recognize him. They began to weep very loudly. They were so upset that they tore their clothes. They threw dust into the air and on their heads.
• Psalms 69:11When I wear rough clothes to show that I am sad, people laugh at me.
• Isaiah 22:12At that time, the Lord Almighty told you to be very sad and weep. He told you to cut all the hair off your heads and to wear rough clothes.
• Isaiah 32:11You think that you have no problems, but you should be afraid. Yes, shake with fear! Take off all your beautiful clothes. Tie rough cloth round your legs instead.

Commentaries on Genesis 37:34

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-36Verses 1-36 - Joseph Was Sold into Egypt 17. דתין dotayı̂n Dothain, “two wells?” (Gesenius) 25. נכאת neko't “tragacanth” or goat‘s-thorn gum, yielded by the “astragalus gummifer”, a native of Mount Lebanon. צרי tsērı̂y “opobalsamum,” the resin of the balsam tree, growing in Gilead, and having healing qualities. לט loṭ ͂ lēdon “ledum, ladanum,” in the Septuagint ́ staktē The former is a gum produced from the cistus rose. The latter is a gum resembling…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 31-36Verses 31-36 When Satan has taught men to commit one sin, he teaches them to try to conceal it with another; to hide theft and murder, with lying and false oaths: but he that covers his sin shall not prosper long. Joseph's brethren kept their own and one another's counsel for some time; but their villany came to light at last, and it is here published to the world. To grieve their father, they sent him Joseph's coat of colours; and he hastily thought, on…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34-35Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist: This showed his extreme distress and mourning (see 44:13; Job 1:20; 16:15). Jacob was devastated and refused to be comforted. This betrayal affected his entire family.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins--the common signs of Oriental mourning. A rent is made in the skirt more or less long according to the afflicted feelings of the mourner, and a coarse rough piece of black sackcloth or camel's hair cloth is wound round the waist.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 37:34

• Bereavement
• Deception
• Falsehood
• Hypocrisy
• Ishmaelites
• Jacob
• Joseph
• Mourning
• Rending
• Sackcloth
• Sorrow

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Jacob, Israel
• Coat
• Conceal
• Deceitfully
• Devour
• Doubt
• Dress
• Evil
• Flesh

Commentaries on Genesis 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings