Deuteronomy 23:13
WEB
You shall have a trowel among your weapons. It shall be, when you relieve yourself, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement;
BSB
And you must have a digging tool in your equipment so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover up your excrement.
KJV
And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3489
n-f — peg
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to pin through or fast;
a peg
KJV: nail, paddle, pin, stake.
n.f — pin
יָתֵד n.f. pin, peg
H1961
v — exist, be, become, come to pass
Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.
vb — fall out
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
I.
1.
a. Fall out, happen
b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
a.
(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
II. Come into being, become
1.
a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
b. sq. prep.
2. become
a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
b. sq. pred. adj.
c. become like
d. sq. pred. לְ pers.
e. sq. לְ pred.
f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
g. with עַל and לְ
h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
1. exist, be in existence
2. abide, remain, continue
3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.
5. periphrastic conjug.
Niph.
1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass
2. be done, finished, gone
H5921
prep — above, over, upon, against
Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
subst — above
עַל, עָ֑ל
I. subst. height
II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
a. —
(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears
(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done
2. It expresses excess
3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence
4. It expresses addition
5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over
6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)
7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)
8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative
9. With other particles:
III. As conj.
a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that
b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent
c. עַל alone:
(a). because
(b). notwithstanding that, although
IV. Compounds:
1. with כְּ (rare and late)
a. as concerning, as upon
b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay
2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by
H240
n-m — spade, paddle
Derivation: from 238;
a spade or paddle (as having a broad end)
KJV: weapon.
n.[m.]coll — implements
[אָזֵן] n.[m.]coll. implements, tools
H3427
v — sit, dwell, remain, settle, marry
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
vb — sit
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
1.
a. sit
b. sit, sit down
c. sit down
d. sit = be set (as a jewel)
2.
a. remain, stay, tarry
b. with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
3. dwell, have one’s abode
4. of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
1. cause to sit
2. cause to abide
3.
a. cause to dwell
b. cause cities to be inhabited
4. marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
H2351
n-m — separate by a wall, outside, outdoors
Derivation: or (shortened) חֻץ; (both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever;
properly, separate by a wall, i.e. outside, outdoors
KJV: abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.
n.[m.] — the outside
חוּץ n.[m.] the outside, sts., esp. in pl., spec. a street
H2658
v — pry into, delve, explore
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to explore
KJV: dig, paw, search out, seek.
vb — dig
חָפַר vb. dig, search for
H7725
v — turn, return, retreat, again
Derivation: a primitive root;
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
KJV: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) × again, (cause to) answer ( again), × in any case (wise), × at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, × certainly, come again (back), × consider, continually, convert, deliver (again), deny, draw back, fetch home again, × fro, get (oneself) (back) again, × give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, × needs, be past, × pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, × surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
vb — turn back
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
1. turn back
2. return, come or go back
3. esp. return unto
4.
a. of dying
b. of revival from death
5. fig. of human relations:
a. return to leader, king
b. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
c. turn, i.e. resort to
d. return to a physical condition
e. abs. = change course of action
6. fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
a. turn back from God = apostatize
b. of י׳, turn away
c. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
d. abs. repent
e. turn back from evil
f. of י׳
g. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
7. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
8. denoting repetition, etc.
9. trans.
Pō‛l.
1. bring back
2.
a. fig. restore, refresh
b. restore, repair
3. lead away (enticingly)
4. shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
1.
a. bring back into bondage
b. put back
c. = draw back
d. = give back, restore
e. = relinguish
f. = give in payment, requital
g. bring one back (from dead)
2.
a. bring back heart
b. = refresh
3. bring back words of people
4.
a. bring back (in retribution) upon
b. pay as recompense
5. turn back, backward = repel, defeat
6.
a. turn away face
b. late, turn toward, acc. face
7. turn against
8. bring back to mind, take into consideration
9.
10. = shew a turning away from your idols (i.e. turn away)
11. reverse, revoke = repel, defeat
Hoph. my money has been returned
H3680
v — plump, fill up, cover
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy)
KJV: clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare 3780.
vb — cover
[כָּסָה] vb. cover
Qal
1. conceal
2. pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)
Niph. covered
Pi.
1. cover, clothe
2. cover, conceal blood
3. cover (with covering of protection)
4. cover, spread over
5. cover, overwhelm
6. cover over
Pual.
1. be covered
2. be clothed
Hithp. cover, clothe oneself
H853
prt — self, even, namely
Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].
mark of the accusative
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
H6627
n-f — issue, excrement
Derivation: from 3318;
issue, i.e. (human) excrement
KJV: that (which) cometh from (out).
n.f — filth
[צֵאָה] n.f. filth, specif. human excrement
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Verses 9–14
Deuteronomy 23:9–14
Israel was now encamped, and this vast army was just entering upon action, which was likely to keep them together for a long time, and therefore it was fit to give them particular directions for the good ordering of their camp. And the charge is in one word to be clean. They must take care to keep their camp pure from moral, ceremonial, and natural pollution.
I. From moral pollution (Deu 23:9): When the host goes forth against thy enemy then look upon thyself as in a special manner engaged to keep thyself from every evil thing. 1. The soldiers themselves must take heed of sin, for sin takes off the edge of valour; guilt makes men cowards. Those that put their lives in their hands are concerned to make and keep their peace with God, and preserve a conscience void of offence; then may they look death in the face without terror. Soldiers, in executing their commission, must keep themselves from gratifying the lusts of malice, covetousness, or uncleanness, for these are wicked things - must keep themselves from the idols, or accursed things, they found in the camps they plundered. 2. Even those that tarried at home, the body of the people, and every particular person, must at that time especially keep from every wicked thing, lest by sin they provoke God to withdraw his presence from the host, and give victory to the enemy for the correcting of his own people. Times of war should be times of reformation, else how can we expect God should hear and answer our prayers for success? Psa 66:18. See Sa1 7:3.
II. From ceremonial pollution, which might befal a person when unconscious of it, for which he was bound to wash his flesh in water, and look upon himself as unclean until the evening, Lev 15:16. A soldier, notwithstanding the constant service and duty he had to do in the camp, must be so far from looking upon himself as discharged from the observance of this ceremony that more was required from him than at another time; had he been at his own house, he needed only to wash his flesh, but, being in the army, he must go abroad out of the camp, as one concerned to keep it pure and ashamed of his own impurity, and not return till after sunset, Deu 23:10, Deu 23:11. By this trouble and reproach, which even involuntary pollutions exposed men to, they were taught to keep up a very great dread of all fleshly lusts. It were well if military men would consider this.
III. From natural pollution; the camp of the Lord must have nothing offensive in it, Deu 23:12-14. It is strange that the divine law, or at least the solemn order and direction of Moses, should extend to a thing of this nature; but the design of it was to teach them, 1. Modesty and decorum; nature itself teaches them thus to distinguish themselves from beasts that know no shame. 2. Cleanliness, and, though not niceness, yet neatness, even in their camp. Filthiness is offensive to the senses God has endued us with, prejudicial to the health, a wrong to the comfort of human life, and an evidence of a careless slothful temper of mind. 3. Purity from the pollutions of sin; if there must be this care taken to preserve the body clean and sweet, much more should we be solicitous to keep the mind so. 4. A reverence of the divine majesty. This is the reason here given: For the Lord thy God walketh by his ark, the special token of his presence, in the midst of thy camp; with respect to that external symbol this external purity is required, which (though not insisted on in the letter when that reason ceases) teaches us to preserve inward purity of soul, in consideration of the eye of God, which is always upon us. By this expression of respect to the presence of God among them, they were taught both to fortify themselves against sin and to encourage themselves against their enemies with the consideration of that presence. 5. A regard one to another. The filthiness of one is noisome to many; this law of cleanliness therefore teaches us not to do that which will be justly offensive to our brethren and grieve them. It is a law against nuisances.
Cross-references: Deut 23:9 · Ps 66:18 · 1Sam 7:3 · Lev 15:16 · Deut 23:10 · Deut 23:11 · Deut 23:12