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Rending of Clothes

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Rendu, Louis

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Concordances
Thompson Chain Reference
• Rending of Clothes
Encyclopedias
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Clothes, Rending of
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Rending of Clothes

To rend or tear the garments was from the earliest period an action expressive of the highest grief (Genesis 37:29). Jacob and David did it on various occasions; and so did Joshua, Hezekiah, and Ezra (2 Samuel 13:31; Joshua 7:6; 2 Kings 19:1; Ezra 9:3). The high-priest was forbidden to rend his clothes (Leviticus 10:6; Leviticus 21:10), prob. ably meaning his sacred garments: perhaps those referred to in Matthew 26:65, were such as were ordinarily worn, or merely judicial, and not pontificial garments. Sometimes it denoted anger, or indignation mingled with sorrow (Isaiah 36:22; Isaiah 37:1; Acts 14:14). (See RENDING).