Reference: Girdle
Easton
(1.) Heb hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1Sa 18:4; 2Sa 20:8; 1Ki 2:5; 2Ki 3:21) or women (Isa 3:24).
(2.) Heb 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2Ki 1:8; Jer 13:1), soldiers (Isa 5:27; 2Sa 20:8; Eze 23:15), Kings (Job 12:18).
(3.) Heb mezah, a "band," a girdle worn by men alone (Ps 109:19; Isa 22:21).
(4.) Heb 'abnet, the girdle of sacerdotal and state officers (Ex 28:4,39-40; 29:9; 39:29).
(5.) Heb hesheb, the "curious girdle" (Ex 28:8; R.V., "cunningly woven band") was attached to the ephod, and was made of the same material.
The common girdle was made of leather (2Ki 1:8; Mt 3:4); a finer sort of linen (Jer 13:1; Eze 16:10; Da 10:5). Girdles of sackcloth were worn in token of sorrow (Isa 3:24; 22:12). They were variously fastened to the wearer (Mr 1:6; Jer 13:1; Eze 16:10).
The girdle was a symbol of strength and power (Job 12:18,21; 30:11; Isa 22:21; 45:5). "Righteousness and faithfulness" are the girdle of the Messiah (Isa 11:5).
Girdles were used as purses or pockets (Mt 10:9. A. V., "purses;" R.V., marg., "girdles." Also Mr 6:8).
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This is what they are to make: a priest's bag, an ephod, and a robe, and a coat of coloured needlework, a head-dress, and a linen band; they are to make holy robes for Aaron your brother and for his sons, so that they may do the work of priests for me.
And the beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.
The coat is to be made of the best linen, worked in squares; and you are to make a head-dress of linen, and a linen band worked in needlework. And for Aaron's sons you are to make coats, and bands, and head-dresses, so that they may be clothed with glory and honour.
And put the linen bands round Aaron and his sons, and the head-dresses on them, to make them priests by my order for ever: so you are to make Aaron and his sons holy to me.
And a linen band worked with a design of blue and purple and red, as the Lord had said to Moses.
And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.
Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.
And in the place of sweet spices will be an evil smell, and for a fair band a thick cord; for a well-dressed head there will be the cutting-off of the hair, and for a beautiful robe there will be the clothing of sorrow; the mark of the prisoner in place of the ornaments of the free.
And in the place of sweet spices will be an evil smell, and for a fair band a thick cord; for a well-dressed head there will be the cutting-off of the hair, and for a beautiful robe there will be the clothing of sorrow; the mark of the prisoner in place of the ornaments of the free.
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
And righteousness will be the cord of his robe, and good faith the band round his breast.
And in that day the Lord, the Lord of armies, was looking for weeping, and cries of sorrow, cutting off of the hair, and putting on the clothing of grief:
And I will put your robe on him, and put your band about him, and I will give your authority into his hand: and he will be a father to the men of Jerusalem, and to the family of Judah.
And I will put your robe on him, and put your band about him, and I will give your authority into his hand: and he will be a father to the men of Jerusalem, and to the family of Judah.
I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me:
This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.
And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.
With bands round their bodies and with head-dresses hanging round their heads, all of them looking like rulers, like the Babylonians, the land of whose birth is Chaldaea.
And lifting up my eyes I saw the form of a man clothed in a linen robe, and round him there was a band of gold, of the best gold:
Now John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
And John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.
And he said that they were to take nothing for their journey, but a stick only; no bread, no bag, no money in their pockets;
Fausets
Worn by men and women. The meezach was worn by men alone (Job 12:21, margin). The common girdle was of leather, as the Bedouins now wear a red leather girdle with a long crooked knife and a pistol stuck in. The finer girdle was of linen (Jer 13:1), often embroidered with gold (Da 10:5; Re 1:13). Girded up, so as to confine the otherwise flowing robes, when active exertion was needed; from whence "gird up the hands" means "be in readiness for action" (Lu 12:35; 1Pe 1:13; Eph 6:14). Fastened by a clasp, or tied in a knot, so that the ends hung in front. A costly present (1Sa 18:4). One end being folded back made a purse (Mt 10:9).
The abneeyt was the priest's girdle of linen embroidered with wool; the high priest's girdle on the day of atonement was of white linen only. The "needlework" on it was figuring on one side only, "cunning work" on two sides (Ex 28:39; the Mishna); or the "needlework" had the figures on both sides the same girdle, the "cunning work" different (Jarchi). Ex 26:31, "needlework" was of the embroiderer, "cunning work" of the skilled weaver. The "curious girdle" was made, as the ephod, of "gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen" (Ex 28:8), it was the band for fastening the ephod, which is upon it, and of the same work, of one piece with it.
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And you are to make a veil of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with designs of winged ones by a good workman:
And the beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.
The coat is to be made of the best linen, worked in squares; and you are to make a head-dress of linen, and a linen band worked in needlework.
And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.
He puts shame on chiefs, and takes away the power of the strong;
This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
And lifting up my eyes I saw the form of a man clothed in a linen robe, and round him there was a band of gold, of the best gold:
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning.
Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness;
And in the middle of them one like a son of man, clothed with a robe down to his feet, and with a band of gold round his breasts.
Morish
.
An article of dress always worn in the East, both by the rich and the poor, and needed there because of their flowing robes. For the poor they were of the plainest material, but for the rich they were more or less costly, and were highly ornamented. They were thus suitable articles for presents. 1Sa 18:4; 2Sa 18:11. John the Baptist wore a leathern girdle, or one of skin. Mt 3:4; Mr 1:6: cf. 2Ki 1:8. In the Revelation the Lord has on a golden girdle, and the seven angels who come out of the temple have the same. Re 1:13; 15:6. The priests wore girdles, and one for Aaron was a 'linen' girdle, Le 16:4, and with the breastplate was the CURIOUS (i.e. embroidered) GIRDLE of the ephod, made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine-twined linen. Ex 28:8.
The girdle is typical of strength, and 'girding up the loins' denotes active service. When the Gentiles are gathered by God to discipline Israel, the girdle of their loins shall not be loosed. Isa 5:27. Of the Lord when He comes to reign it is said, "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Isa 11:5. In the present warfare the Christian is exhorted to have his loins 'girt about' with truth, Eph 6:14
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And the beautifully worked band, which goes on it, is to be of the same work and the same material, of gold and blue and purple and red and twisted linen-work.
Let him put on the holy linen coat, and the linen trousers on his body, and the linen band round him, and the linen head-dress on his head; for this is holy clothing, and before he puts them on his body is to be washed with water.
And Jonathan took off the robe he had on and gave it to David, with all his military dress, even to his sword and his bow and the band round his body.
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
There is no weariness among them, and no man is feeble-footed: they come without resting or sleeping, and the cord of their shoes is not broken.
And righteousness will be the cord of his robe, and good faith the band round his breast.
Now John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
And John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.
And he said that they were to take nothing for their journey, but a stick only; no bread, no bag, no money in their pockets;
Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness;
And in the middle of them one like a son of man, clothed with a robe down to his feet, and with a band of gold round his breasts.
And the seven angels who had the seven punishments came out from the house of God, clothed with linen, clean and bright and with bands of gold about their breasts.
Smith
Girdle,
an essential article of dress in the East, and worn by both men and women. The common girdle was made of leather,
like that worn by the Bedouins of the present day. A finer girdle was made of linen,
embroidered with silk, and sometimes with gold and silver thread,
and frequently studded with gold and precious stones or pearls. The military girdle was worn about the waist; the sword or dagger was suspended from it.
Hence girding up the loins denotes preparation for battle or for active exertion. Girdles were used as pockets, as they still are among the Arabs, and as purses, one end of the girdle being folded back for the purpose.
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So Ehud made himself a two-edged sword, a cubit long, which he put on at his right side under his robe.
And they said in answer, He was a man clothed in a coat of hair, with a leather band about his body. Then he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Put on your sword, make it ready at your side, O strong chief, with your glory and power.
This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
And I had you clothed with needlework, and put leather shoes on your feet, folding fair linen about you and covering you with silk.
And lifting up my eyes I saw the form of a man clothed in a linen robe, and round him there was a band of gold, of the best gold:
Now John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
And he said that they were to take nothing for their journey, but a stick only; no bread, no bag, no money in their pockets;
And in the middle of them one like a son of man, clothed with a robe down to his feet, and with a band of gold round his breasts.
And the seven angels who had the seven punishments came out from the house of God, clothed with linen, clean and bright and with bands of gold about their breasts.
Watsons
GIRDLE. The girdle is an indispensable article in the dress of an oriental: it has various uses; but the principal one is to tuck up their long flowing vestments, that they may not incommode them in their work, or on a journey. The Jews, according to some writers, wore a double girdle, one of greater breadth, with which they girded their tunic when they prepared for active exertions: the other they wore under their shirt, around their loins. This under girdle they reckon necessary to distinguish between the heart and the less honourable parts of the human frame. The upper girdle was sometimes made of leather, the material of which the girdle of John the Baptist was made; but it was more commonly fabricated of worsted, often very artfully woven into a variety of figures, and made to fold several times about the body; one end of which being doubled back, and sewn along the edges, serves them for a purse, agreeably to the acceptation of ????, in the Scriptures, which is translated purse, in several places of the New Testament, Mt 10:9; Mr 6:8. The ancient Romans, in this, as in many other things, imitated the orientals; for their soldiers, and probably all classes of the citizens, used to carry their money in their girdles. Whence, in Horace, qui zonam perdidit, means one who had lost his purse; and in Aulus Gellius, C. Gracthus is introduced, saying, "Those girdles which I carried out full of money when I went from Rome, I have, at my return from the province, brought again empty." The Turks make a farther use of these girdles, by fixing their knives and poinards in them; while the writers and secretaries suspend in them their ink-horns; a custom as old as the Prophet Ezekiel, who mentions "a person clothed in white linen, with an ink-horn upon his loins," Eze 9:2. That part of the ink-holder which passes between the girdle and the tunic, and receives their pens, is long and flat; but the vessel for the ink, which rests upon the girdle, is square, with a lid to clasp over it.
2. To loose the girdle and give it to another was, among the orientals, a token of great confidence and affection. Thus, to ratify the covenant which Jonathan made with David, and to express his cordial regard for his friend, among other things, he gave him his girdle. A girdle curiously and richly wrought was among the ancient Hebrews a mark of honour, and sometimes bestowed as a reward of merit: for this was the recompense which Joab declared he meant to bestow on the man who put Absalom to death: "Why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle," 2Sa 18:11. The reward was certainly meant to correspond with the importance of the service which he expected him to perform, and the dignity of his own station as commander in chief: we may, therefore, suppose that the girdle promised was not a common one of leather, or plain worsted, but of costly materials and richly adorned; for people of rank and fashion in the east wear very broad girdles, all of silk, and superbly ornamented with gold and silver, and precious stones, of which they are extremely proud, regarding them as the tokens of their superior station and the proof of their riches. "To gird up the loins" is to bring the flowing robe within the girdle, and so to prepare for a journey, or for some vigorous exercise.
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And Joab said to the man who had given him the news, If you saw this, why did you not put your sword through him, and I would have given you ten bits of silver and a band for your robe?
And six men came from the way of the higher doorway looking to the north, every man with his axe in his hand: and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer's inkpot at his side. And they went in and took their places by the brass altar.
Take no gold or silver or copper in your pockets;
And he said that they were to take nothing for their journey, but a stick only; no bread, no bag, no money in their pockets;