And you shall have a stick with your weapons; and it shall be, when you will relieve yourself outside, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your refuse:
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Girdle. Hebrew azon, means "a balance "as the Hebrews generally carried weights, about them, chap. xxv. 13. Moderns translate, "a paddle upon thy weapon "But the Septuagint seem to have read ezor, "a girdle "(Calmet) which is more intelligible, as the Jews were accustomed to carry the necessary utensils, money, not in their pockets, as we do, but in a bag, which they fixed to their girdles, or belts. All the Jews who dwelt in the camp, were bound to have a paddle, for the purpose here mentioned. (Haydock)
Josephus (Jewish Wars ii. 7,) observes, that the Essenians always made use of one, with which they made a hole a foot deep, and covered it with their robes, that nothing indecent might be exposed to view. (Haydock)
The Turks still follow the same custom, when they are encamped. (Busbec, ep. iii.) (Calmet)
