Definition and Historical Context
In biblical times, a bier (Hebrew: mittah) was a simple wooden frame or platform designed to support and transport the body of the deceased. Unlike modern caskets, the bier was an open platform, allowing the body to be visible during the funeral procession. This ancient practice was integral to Jewish burial customs and reflected the community's commitment to honoring the dead with proper respect and ceremony.
The bier served both practical and spiritual purposes in biblical culture. Practically, it allowed pallbearers to carry the deceased from the home to the burial site, often through the streets of the town. Spiritually, the visible nature of the bier emphasized the community's collective acknowledgment of death and their shared responsibility to ensure honorable treatment of the departed. The bier itself was typically made of wood and could be as simple or as elaborate as the family's means allowed, though simplicity was often preferred to demonstrate piety.
Biblical References to the Bier
The most notable biblical reference to a bier appears in 2 Samuel 3:31, where King David commands that Abner be buried with proper honor: "And David said unto Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept the LORD's anointed?" The funeral procession described in this passage would have included the bier as a central element, with David himself demonstrating respect for the deceased by walking behind it.
Another significant reference occurs in Luke 7:14, where Jesus encounters a funeral procession at Nain: "And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." This touching account demonstrates Jesus' compassion and His power over death itself. The fact that Jesus touched the bier—an act that would have been considered ceremonially defiling under Jewish law—shows His willingness to break social convention to demonstrate love and mercy to the grieving family.
In 1 Samuel 31:12, we read of the men of Jabesh-gilead who recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons: "All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there." While a bier isn't explicitly mentioned here, the respectful treatment of the bodies demonstrates the cultural importance of honoring the deceased with dignity.
Application for Today
Though we no longer use biers in the way ancient peoples did, the biblical principle remains vital: we are called to treat the deceased and their families with dignity, respect, and compassion. The bier reminds us that death is a significant transition worthy of reverent acknowledgment. When we participate in funeral services, comfort grieving families, and honor the memory of the departed, we continue this ancient biblical tradition in contemporary forms.
As followers of Christ, we can embrace the spiritual lesson the bier teaches us: that death, while final in this earthly life, is not the end of God's purpose for His people. Our hope rests not in elaborate funeral practices, but in the resurrection and eternal life promised through Jesus Christ.
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).