"sackcloth, a coarse black cloth made of hair (goat or camel), Rev. 6:12; a mourning garment of sackcloth, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Rev. 11:3*"
Definition and meaning
sackcloth, a coarse black cloth made of hair (goat or camel), Rev. 6:12; a mourning garment of sackcloth, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Rev. 11:3*
In the original Greek the word is written: σάκκος
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of sakkos (G4526) across the King James Bible.
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G4526 (sakkos) is a Greek word that means: sackcloth, a coarse black cloth made of hair (goat or camel), Rev. 6:12; a mourning garment of sackcloth, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Rev. 11:3* It appears 4 times in the King James Bible.
The word sakkos (G4526) appears 4 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4526 is sakkos, a Greek word defined as: sackcloth, a coarse black cloth made of hair (goat or camel), Rev. 6:12; a mourning garment of sackcloth, Mt. 11:21; Lk. 10:13; Rev. 11:3*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
sakkos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.