Meaning
Ashes are the powdery residue left after something has been burned.
Biblical Usage
Scripture uses ashes literally and in symbolic expressions. They appear in descriptions of burned material and destruction, as well as in expressions of grief, humility, repentance, and human mortality.
Job sits among the ashes during his affliction, and Abraham describes himself as dust and ashes. In 2 Samuel 13:19, Tamar puts ashes on her head as she mourns her humiliation. Ashes also form part of the purification procedure described in Numbers 19.
Key References
- Genesis 18:27 — Abraham describes himself as dust and ashes.
- Job 2:8 — Job sits among the ashes during his affliction.
- Job 42:6 — Job refers to repentance in dust and ashes.
- Numbers 19:9-10 — Describes the preparation and use of the ashes of the red heifer.
- 2 Samuel 13:19 — Tamar puts ashes on her head after the wrong done to her.
- Esther 4:1 — Mordecai puts on sackcloth with ashes in response to the decree against the Jews.
- Jonah 3:6 — The king of Nineveh sits in ashes as the people respond to Jonah’s warning.
- Matthew 11:21 — Jesus refers to repentance in sackcloth and ashes.
Related Terms
- Sackcloth — Coarse cloth worn as an expression of mourning or distress.
- Mourning — The expression of grief, especially following a death.
- Repentance — Turning from wrongdoing or changing one’s mind and conduct.
- Dust — Fine particles of earth or other matter, also used in Scripture to describe human frailty.