- uncover:
- "And Mosesª saidª° unto¹ Aaron,ª and unto Eleazarª and unto Ithamar,ª his sons,ª Uncoverª° not¹ your heads,ª neither¹ rendª° your clothes;ª lest¹ ye die,ª° and lest wrath²° come¹ upon¹ all¹ the people:ª but let your brethren,ª the whole¹ houseª of Israel,ª bewailª°¹ the burningª which¹ the LORDª hath kindled.ª° ... And ye shall not¹ go outª° from the doorª¹ of the tabernacleª of the congregation,ª lest¹ ye die:ª° for¹ the anointingª oilª of the LORDª [is] upon¹ you. And they didª° according to the wordª of Moses.ª" {Lev 10:6-7} + "And the leperª° in whom¹ the plagueª [is], his clothesª shall be¹ rent,ª° and his headª bare,ª° and he shall put a coveringª° upon¹ his upper lip,ª and shall cry,ª° Unclean,ª unclean.ª" {Lev 13:45} + "And Davidª went upª° by the ascentª of [mount] Olivet,ª and weptª° as he went up,ª° and had his headª covered,ª° and he¹ wentª° barefoot:ª and all¹ the peopleª that¹ [was] with¹ him coveredª° every manª his head,ª and they went up,ª° weepingª° as they went up.ª°" {2Sm 15:30} + "And Mordecaiª came againª° to¹ the king'sª gate.ª But Hamanª hastedª° to¹ his houseª mourning,ª and having his headª covered.ª°" {Est 6:12}, not rend, "And Jacobª rentª° his clothes,ª and putª° sackclothª upon his loins,ª and mournedª° for¹ his sonª manyª days.ª" {Gen 37:34} + "Then Jobª arose,ª° and rentª°¹ his mantle,ª and shavedª°¹ his head,ª and fell downª° upon the ground,ª and worshipped,ª°" {Job 1:20} + "Thenª the¹ high priestª rentª° his²¹ clothes,ª saying,ª°² He hath spoken blasphemy;ª° whatª furtherª needª have¹ we²° of witnesses?ª behold,ª nowª ye have heardª° hisª blasphemy.ª" {Mtt 26:65}; All human corpses were considered as unclean. Whoever touched one was unclean for seven days, and was obliged on the third and seventh day to purify himself according to the Mosaic instructions. In the case of the priest it went still farther; insomuch, that even mourning for the dead by any external sign, such as tearing their clothes, defiled them. Hence such mournings were absolutely forbidden to be used in any case, and by the other priests also, except in the case of their very nearest relations, for whom they were allowed to mourn. This statue is founded on the importance of sustaining the decency and purity of Divine worship. The servants of the Deity were to keep themselves at a distance from every thing that in the least degree savoured of uncleanness.
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