Deuteronomium 23:13

Gereviseerde Leidse Vertaling

en gij moet een pin aan uw gordel hebben, om er, wanneer gij buiten gaat zitten, een gat mede te graven, en straks uw ontlasting te bedekken.

Parallel Translations

Gereviseerde Lutherse Vertaling
En gij zult een schopje hebben; en als gij u daar buiten zetten wilt, zo zult gij daarmede graven; en als gij gezeten hebt, dan zult gij toedekken hetgeen van u gegaan is.

Staten Vertaling
En gij zult een schopje hebben, benevens uw gereedschap, en het zal geschieden, als gij buiten gezeten hebt, dan zult gij daarmede graven, en u omkeren, en bedekken wat van u uitgegaan is.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wilt ease thyself: Heb. sittest down

cover that: Ezekiel 24:6-8

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon,.... A nail or spike, some kind of instrument to make a hole in the ground with, which was fastened to the sword upon their loins; which was to be instead of a spade or mattock to dig with:

and it shall be, when thou shall ease thyself abroad; without the camp, in the place appointed for that use, whenever nature required such an action to be performed;

thou shall dig therewith; with, the paddle, an hole in the earth: the Essenes used, according to Josephus, to make it a foot deep with a spade or mattock, and to everyone that was newly admitted among them, a little pickaxe was given for that purpose r:

and shalt turn back; having eased nature:

and cover that which cometh from thee; their dung, with the earth they dug out of the hole they made. This law was made to preserve modesty and decency becoming men, and not act like brute beasts, as well as cleanliness in the camp, and, the health of themselves and their fellow soldiers; and that, they might not be offensive to the smell, as well as pernicious to the health of one another; and especially for a reason that follows in Deuteronomy 23:14; so Maimonides s says, the intention of this law is especially cleanliness, and to avoid nastiness, filthiness, and impurities of every kind, that men might not be like the brute animals.

r De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 8. sect. 9. s Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 41.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The whole passage refers not to the encampments of the nation while passing from Egypt through the wilderness, but to future warlike expeditions seat out from Canaan.