People put on sackcloth as a sign of mourning, whether for those who had just died (Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31), for some personal distress (Job 16:15), or for a national disaster (Esther 4:1; Lamentations 2:10). They also put on sackcloth as a sign of sorrow for personal sins (1 Kings 21:27-29; Nehemiah 9:1-2) or urgency in prayer (Daniel 9:3). The sackcloth was worn either over the top of, or instead of, their normal clothing (2 Kings 6:30; Job 16:15; Jonah 3:6; see DRESS).