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SUBJECT: Covering the feet 1 Samuel 24:3 and Judges
3:24
QUESTIONS: What is this phrase, “cover the feet” mean?
What did people in these times do to handle bodily
functions?
ANSWER:
To “cover the feet” is to use the restroom (to defecate).
If you study into Biblical times and their customs and
manners (There is a Bible help by
this name, "Manners and Customs of the Bible"),
you will find that they were circumspect in the handling of
bodily functions, personal hygiene and individual privacy.
There is an example of a person having a bowel movement in
the Bible. It was king Saul. Notice...
1 Samuel 24:3
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave;
and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men
remained in the sides of the cave.
To "cover one's feet" was to use the restroom. Notice that
Saul left his men and went alone into a nearby cave to
complete this bodily function. The waste went into the
ground and this individual sought privacy. Saul and his men
were chasing David and his men in the wilderness at the
time.
Many commentaries acknowledge the possibility that this
means to go to the restroom, but like to state that he was
merely going into the cave to sleep from the heat of the
day. This sounds unlikely as it would be foolish for the
king to go alone just to sleep. What were his men doing?
Were they standing around in the hot sun while the king
slept? Notice this commentary...
1 Samuel 24:1-8
"To cover his feet" is a euphemism according to most of the
ancient versions, as in Judg 3:24, for performing the
necessities of nature, as it is a custom in the East to
cover the feet. It does not mean "to sleep," as it is
rendered in this passage in the Peschito, and also by
Michaelis and others; for although what follows may seem to
favour this, there is apparently no reason why any such
euphemistic expression should have been chosen for sleep.
~from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition
Here is the reference to Judges 3:24 in the above
commentary...
Judges 3:24
When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw
that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they
said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
Here is the commentary...
Judges 3:24-25
When the servants of Eglon came (to enter in to their lord)
after Ehud's departure and saw the door of the upper room
bolted, they thought "surely ('akª (OT:389), lit. only,
nothing but) he covers his feet" (a euphemism for performing
the necessities of nature; cf. 1 Sam 24:3), and waited to
shaming (cf. 2 King Judg 2:17; 8:11), i.e., till they were
ashamed of their long waiting (see at Judg 5:28). At length
they opened the door with the key, and found their lord
lying dead upon the floor. ~from
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New
Updated Edition
Here is a primary verse on personal hygiene:
Deuteronomy 23:13-14
13 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:
14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to
deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee;
therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean
thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
Here is the commentary...
Deuteronomy 23:9-14
Verse 12-13. The camp of war was also not to be defiled with
the dirt of excrements. Outside the camp there was to be a
space or place (yaad (OT:3027), as in Num 2:17) for the
necessities of nature, and among their implements they were
to have a spade, with which they were to dig when they sat
down, and then cover it up again. yaateed (OT:3489),
generally a plug, here a tool for sticking in, i.e., for
digging into the ground.
~from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New
Updated Edition
It would be assumed that even in times of large crowds (such
as when Jesus fed the 5,000 and 4,000) that provision would
be made for restrooms and/or that each person would take the
appropriate action, maintaining modesty and cleanliness.
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