rend

Everyday

1. (old or literary) To tear something into pieces violently. tree →
2. To break a silence or the air with a loud sound. tree →
3. (literary) To cause great sadness or pain to someone's heart. tree →

In the lessons

Mostly found in old stories, poems, the Bible and fantasy books. In the Bible people «rent their clothes», tearing them to show great sorrow. «Heart-rending» means very sad. Phrases: «rend apart», «rend the air», «heart-rending», «rent their clothes».

Examples

• The giant rent the tree in two. tree →
• A scream rent the silence. tree →
• In the Bible, Jacob rent his clothes when he heard the bad news. tree →
• It was a heart-rending story about a lost puppy. tree →
• The storm threatened to rend the sails. tree →
• The war rent the country apart. tree →
• Wringing his hands and rending his beard, he exclaimed: tree →

Note

Irregular verb: rend, rent, rent. Trap: «rent» is also the money paid to live in a house — a different word. Today «tear» is used instead of «rend»; «heart-rending» is still common.

In Jewish tradition

Tearing clothes is a sign of deep grief in Jewish tradition. The high priest, though, was forbidden to tear his clothes in mourning because of his holy office. Ecclesiastes says there is a time to rend and a time to sew, and Isaiah's prayer that God rend the heavens asks Him to come down and help. In the primary lessons: Mostly found in old stories, poems, the Bible and fantasy books. In the Bible people «rent their clothes», tearing them to show great sorrow. «Heart-rending» means very sad. Phrases: «rend apart», «rend the air», «heart-rending», «rent their clothes».

Examples

• And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be dim after the washing thereof, then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof. (Torah LEV.13.56, JPS 1917) tree →
• And the priest that is highest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes; (Torah LEV.21.10, JPS 1917) tree →
• Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. (Writings PSA.7.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (Writings ECC.3.7, JPS 1917) tree →
• Oh, that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at Thy presence, (Prophets ISA.63.19, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Irregular verb: rend, rent, rent. Trap: «rent» is also the money paid to live in a house — a different word. Today «tear» is used instead of «rend»; «heart-rending» is still common.