Girdle

GIRDLE. The Hebrews generally wore no Girdle in the house, nor even abroad, unless when they were at work, or upon a journey. At these times they tucked themselves up, and girt their clothes about them, as the eastern people still at this day wear them. This appears from many passages of the Old and New Tob. v. 5.Testament. Tobias having found the Angel Raphael girt about, and as it were ready to go¹, desired him to accompany him in his journey. Our Saviour putting himself in a proper condition to wash the feet of his Disciples, girt himself about with a towel. The soldiers likewise had their belts generally girt about them: Thou hast Psal. xviii. John xiii. 4, 5. 40. Prov. xxxi. 24. Plato Alcibiad. Athenæ, l. 1, &c. Rev. i. 13. 2 Kings i. 8. Matth. iii. 4.girded me with strength unto the battle.

Belts were often made of some very precious stuff. The virtuous wife made rich Girdles, and sold them to the Canaanites, that is to say, to the Phœnician merchants. These Girdles were used in common both by men and women: the women’s are more frequently called Zonæ. We may judge of their value by the Kings of Persia giving sometimes Cities and intire Provinces to their wives for the expence of their Girdles. Our Lord in the Revelations appeared to St. John with a Girdle of gold. And in the same book, the seven Angels, who came out of the Temple, are clothed with linnen, and girt about with golden Girdles. On the contrary, the Prophets and Persons who made particular professions of repentance and contempt of the World, wore Girdles made of skin or of meer leather. The Prophet Elijah had one of this sort, as well as St. John Baptist. In times of mourning they used Girdles made of ropes, as marks Isai. iii. 24.of humiliation and sorrow. Isaiah threatens the daughters of Sion, who had offended him with the excess of their ornaments, to reduce them to the wearing of sack-cloth, Isai. xxii. 12. Nehem. iv. 18.and cord-girdles. In another place, he menaces Jerusalem with bringing her into captivity, with cutting off her hair, the instrument of her pride, and obliging her to gird herself about with sack-cloth: Ad planctum, ad calvitium, & ad cingulum sacci.

The military Girdle, or Belt, did not come down over the shoulder, as among the old Greeks; but was worn upon the loins, whence the following expressions have their original, Gladio accinctus renes, or Balteo accinctus renes. These Belts Ezek. xxiii. 15.were generally rich, and sometimes given as rewards to soldiers. Joab tells him who had seen Absalom hanging on a tree, that if he had smitten him to the ground, he would have given him ten shekels of silver and a Girdle. Jonathan the son of Saul 2 Sam. xviii. 4. Matth. x. 9. 1 Sam. xviii. 4. Haggai i. 6. Job xii. 18.made David a present of his Girdle. Job, exalting the power of God, says, That he looseth the bond of Kings, and girdeth their loins with a Girdle.

We shall speak of the Priests Girdle under the Article PRIESTS.

The Girdle was used formerly for a Purse, as we see in the Books of the New Testament, and in several passages of the Ancients. Our Saviour forbids his Apostles to carry money in their Girdles: Neque pecuniam in Zonis vestris. These Girdles were large and hollow, as those of the eastern people are at this day, much like the cast skin of a serpent, or an eel. Haggai, intending to shew the unprofitableness Hor. Ep. l. 2. 1.of a workman’s labour, says, that he putteth his wages in a Girdle, or Bag, with holes. Horace says, that he who has lost his Girdle, that is to say, his money, is ready to do every thing. Ibit eò quò vis, qui Zonam perdidit.

Women wore likewise a sort of Girdles which bound up their breasts close. Isaiah threatens the daughters of Sion with giving them sack-cloth instead of ribbons Isa. iii. 24. Jer. ii. 32with which they tied up their bosom and their breasts. And Jeremiah asks, whether the Spouse would forget this ornament: An oblivisceter fasciæ pectoralis suæ? The Lord in Ezekiel says, that he has Ezek. xvi. 10.given his Spouse a Girdle of the finest linnen: Cinxi te Byssо.

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