Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 6
Sackcloth was a kind of cheap, rough cloth that people made from animal’s hair. People generally used it to make sacks; but the poorest people had to make their own clothes from it. It felt uncomfortable and unpleasant to wear.
It became the custom even for rich people to wear these simple clothes when they were deeply sad. It was a way to express humble attitudes in front of God. In other words, God had shown them how weak and poor they really were. In such circumstances, they realised that they must not be proud about their own wealth or importance.
So, Joram’s decision to wear his royal clothes on top of sackcloth was a strange decision. His royal clothes emphasised his wealth and importance – that was what he wanted people to see. However, underneath them, the uncomfortable sackcloth reminded him how desperately weak he was in this situation. His royal clothes expressed his proud attitudes, but the sackcloth expressed the opposite. He was pretending to be confident but, in reality, he was very desperate.
Another custom at times of great shock, to express sad and desperate feelings, was for a person to tear his clothes. That was why Joram, in his shock, tore his expensive royal clothes apart. Until then, nobody knew that he was wearing sackcloth next to his skin. However, now they all saw it. Even their king knew that the city and its inhabitants were in a hopeless situation.
Next part: Joram promises to kill Elisha at once (2 Kings 6:31)
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