Tearing one’s garment was the era’s gesture of grief or horror, from Reuben and Job down to the high priest at Jesus’ trial (Matt 26:65). The Jewish Encyclopedia traces the logic: once wearing only the tunic counted as “nakedness,” the garment itself was torn to express grief instead of the older self-cutting. Mourning showed elsewhere on the body too, David climbed Olivet weeping, and “he had his head covered, and went barefoot” (2 Sam 15:30). Joel presses past the gesture itself: “rend your heart, and not your garments” (Joel 2:13).
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Rending the garments
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- 2 Samuel 15:30bsb
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
- Matthew 26:65bsb
At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
- Joel 2:13bsb
So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
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