1 Kings 12–13; 17–22
And 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. 1 Kings 21:27
Introduction
Wearing sackcloth, an ancient biblical practice, sharply contrasts with today’s world that values personal comfort and luxury fabrics. Unlike clothing we select for personal expression or social class, sackcloth was purposefully crafted to be rough, dark, and uncomfortable. Originally crafted from black goat or camel hair for practical uses like grain sacks, this material evolved into a stark symbol of people’s darkest periods. In the scriptures, donning sackcloth served as a public “act of contrition,” signaling to both God and the community an inward state of intense mourning, sincere repentance, or total submission.
The spiritual essence of the hair shirt, despite its rare use by modern believers, is everlasting. The prophets and the Savior shifted the focus from outward rituals to internal conditions, urging disciples to “rend your heart and not your garments”. This post explores the history and symbolism of sackcloth, inviting us to look beneath our own “pretty coverings” and consider what it truly means to approach the Lord with a humble and contrite spirit.
Word Origin
The word sackcloth has its roots in ancient Semitic languages and refers to both a material and the utilitarian objects made from it. While modern readers often associate sackcloth with burlap, this is a common misconception. Historically, this coarse, durable fabric was primarily woven from the stiff, wiry hair of black goats or camels.
- Hebrew Origin: The English term of sackcloth is derived from the Hebrew word saq (שק). In the Old Testament, saq was used for a large, coarsely woven cloth bag used for carrying goods like grain.
- Translation Distinction: When this material was used to carry items, it was translated into English as “sack”; however, when the same material was worn as a garment, it was translated as “sackcloth”.
- Broad Semitic Influence: The English word “sack” itself descends from Semitic languages, including Hebrew and Phoenician.
- Greek Equivalent: The Greek word for sackcloth is sakkos (σάκκος) and has the same meaning as the Hebrew.
Symbolic Meaning
In biblical tradition, wearing black sackcloth is a powerful symbol used to represent a person’s lowest points and most vulnerable spiritual states. Because it was originally intended for utility, such as for grain bags, it was intentionally uncomfortable, scratchy, and unattractive, serving as a jarring contrast to fine, luxurious clothing.
Wearing sackcloth primarily symbolizes the following:
1. Intense Mourning and Grief
Sackcloth is the standard biblical attire for deep personal or communal loss. It was known as “grieving garb”. It serves as a visible landscape of a broken heart, alerting the community that a dire event has occurred. Notable examples include:
- Jacob (Genesis 37:34): Donned sackcloth when he believed his son Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.
- David (2 Samuel 3:31): Wore it to mourn the death of his son and the murder of Abner.
- Mordecai and the Jews (Esther 4:1) who wore sackcloth and ashes to express public anguish following a genocidal decree.
2. Sincere Repentance and Contrition
Sackcloth is frequently described as an “external symbol of an inward state,” signifying a genuine desire to turn one’s heart away from sin and toward God.
- People of Nineveh: (Jonah 3:6-9) from the king to the livestock, put on sackcloth to signal a collective change of heart, moving God to relent from judgment.
- Nephites During a Famine (Helaman 11:9): When a severe famine struck the land to bring the people back to righteousness, the people repented and “did humble themselves in sackcloth,” which moved the prophet Nephi to plead with the Lord to end the famine.
- King Ahab (1 Kings 21:27): Used sackcloth as a gesture of humility and repentance, which resulted in God delaying his judgment.
- Abinadi’s Warning (Mosiah 11:25): The prophet Abinadi warned King Noah and his wicked priests that unless they repented in “sackcloth and ashes,” the Lord would not hear their prayers or deliver them from their afflictions.
3. Prophetic Calling
Sackcloth was occasionally worn by prophets as a sign of their specific calling, inviting their listeners to repent, and a message of impending judgment to others.
- Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4) are described as wearing “hairy” or rough garments of camel’s hair.
- Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:3) are clothed in sackcloth, symbolizing their state of mourning for the world and their call for global repentance.
Sackcloth and Ashes
In scriptural tradition, the connection between sackcloth and ashes is a profound symbolic pairing used to manifest an inward state of intense mourning, sincere repentance, or total submission. By exchanging fine clothing for coarse haircloth and covering oneself with the remnants of a fire, the individual declares a total dependence on God rather than human strength or status. While sackcloth provides a physical experience of discomfort, ashes provide a visual representation of ruin and mortality. Ashes serve as a stark reminder of human frailty and the biblical truth that man was formed from dust and will eventually return to dust.
A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit
While members of the church no longer practice the ritual of sackcloth and ashes. We are encouraged to “put on spiritual sackcloth” by stripping away the “pretty coverings” of pride and self-sufficiency to approach God with a truly humble and honest heart. This internal state is the modern equivalent of the ancient outward ritual.
President D. Todd Christofferson observed, “As you seek the blessing of conversion, you can offer the Lord the gift of your broken, or repentant, heart and your contrite, or obedient, spirit. In reality, it is the gift of yourself—what you are and what you are becoming.”
Modern applications typically focus on shifting from outward ritual to the internal condition of the heart and spirit. The modern equivalent of sackcloth and ashes is having a broken heart and a contrite spirit. It is the application of the prophetic command to “rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13). Jesus commands His people to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:19-20) so God can give us a new heart and lift our spirit.
The Promise
The faithful will trade sackcloth for royal robes. For instance, in the book of Esther, Mordecai is later dressed in magnificent clothing after wearing sackcloth. According to Psalm 34:18, God draws near to those with a broken heart and saves those with a contrite spirit. When this humble state is reached, the temporary “sackcloth” of suffering or mourning is replaced by grace and joy. Christ’s mission includes a promise to “give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, [and] the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).
