Job 16:15
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
Original Language Analysis
שַׂ֣ק
sackcloth
H8242
שַׂ֣ק
sackcloth
Strong's:
H8242
Word #:
1 of 7
properly, a mesh (as allowing a liquid to run through), i.e., coarse loose cloth or sacking (used in mourning and for bagging); hence, a bag (for grai
עֲלֵ֣י
H5921
עֲלֵ֣י
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
3 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי
and defiled
H5953
וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי
and defiled
Strong's:
H5953
Word #:
5 of 7
to effect thoroughly; by implication (in a bad sense) to overdo, i.e., maltreat, be saucy to, pain, impose (also literal)
Cross References
Genesis 37:34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.Psalms 7:5Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.Isaiah 22:12And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:Psalms 75:5Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.1 Kings 21:27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern mourning involved sackcloth (coarse goat hair cloth), ashes, and sitting in dust. These practices communicated grief to community and expressed personal devastation. Duration indicated severity—Job's extended mourning reflects his profound loss.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we honor grief's process rather than rushing to premature comfort?
- What is the value of external expressions of internal sorrow?
- How does our culture's discomfort with prolonged mourning differ from biblical models?
Analysis & Commentary
Job mourns in ashes: 'I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.' Sackcloth sewn to skin suggests permanent mourning—not temporary grief but seemingly endless sorrow. The 'horn' represented strength and honor (Psalm 89:17). Defiling it in dust indicates complete humiliation and loss of dignity. Ancient mourning rituals expressed internal realities externally. Job's mourning is both ritual and authentic experience of devastation.