The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 37:35
And all his sons —the criminals become comforters (Lange)- and all his daughters —either Jacob had other daughters besides Dinah (Kalisch, Gerlach, 'Speaker's Commentary'), or these included his daughters-in-law, the word being employed as in Ruth 1:11 , Ruth 1:12 (Willet, Bush, Murphy), or the term is used freely without being designed to indicate whether he had one or more girls in his family— rose up to comfort him (this implies the return of Jacob's brethren to Hebron); but he... read more
The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 37:34
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins ,— שָׂק (cf. σάκος, el, frog, saccus ) , the usual dress of mourners ( 2 Samuel 3:31 ; Nehemiah 9:1 ; Esther 4:1 ), was a coarse, thick haircloth, of which corn sacks were also made ( Genesis 42:25 ), and which in cases of extreme mental distress was worn next the skin ( 1 Kings 21:27 )— and mourned for his son many days . Though twenty-two years elapsed before Jacob again beheld his son, and though doubtless... read more