Genesis 37:29

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ¹  He tore his clothes,

Genesis 37:34

37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ²  and mourned for his son many days.

Joshua 7:6

7:6 Joshua tore his clothes; ³  he and the leaders ⁴  of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening ⁵  and threw dirt on their heads. ⁶ 

Joshua 7:1

Achan Sins and is Punished

7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. ⁷  Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, ⁸  son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. ⁹  The Lord was furious with the Israelites. ¹⁰ 

Joshua 4:12

4:12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them.

Joshua 4:16

4:16 “Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws ¹¹  to come up from the Jordan.”

Joel 2:13

2:13 Return to the Lord your God,

for he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to anger and boundless in loyal love ¹²  – often relenting from calamitous punishment. ¹³ 

¹ tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.

² tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

³ sn Tearing one’s clothes was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Gen 37:34; 44:13).

⁴ tn Or “elders.”

⁵ tn Heb “and fell on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel.”

⁶ sn Throwing dirt on one’s head was an outward expression of extreme sorrow (see Lam 2:10; Ezek 27:30).

⁷ tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”

⁸ tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also 1 Chr 7:17, 18).

⁹ tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”

¹¹ tn Traditionally, “the ark of the testimony,” another name for the ark of the covenant. The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (’edut, “testimony” or “witness”) here refers to the Mosaic covenant and the body of stipulations contained within it (see HALOT 2:791).

¹² tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”

¹³ tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”