Original Word: חֲגוֹר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: chagowr
Pronunciation: khaw-gore'
Phonetic Spelling: (khag-ore')
KJV: apron, armour, gird(-le)
Word Origin: [from H2296 (חָגַר - girded)]

1. a belt (for the waist)

apron, armor, girdle

Or chagor {khag-ore'}; and (feminine) chagowrah {khag-o-raw'}; or chagorah {khag-o-raw'}; from chagar; a belt (for the waist) -- apron, armour, gird(-le).

see HEBREW chagar

חֲגוֺר noun [masculine] belt, gridle (distinct from אֵזוֺר waist-cloth, Che^{Jer, in Pulpit Comm. (1883) 333}; Jerem^{Life and Times (1888) 161} RS^{JQ Jan. 1892, 289 ff.}) — חֲגוֺר for sword 2 Samuel 20:8 (yet read probably חָגוּר, Th We Klo Dr), compare 1 Samuel 18:4; article of commerce Proverbs 31:24 (collective? or of a richly adorned girdle?).

חֲגוֺרָה noun feminine girdle, loin-covering, belt — חֲגוֺרָה Isaiah 3:24; חֲגֹרָה 2 Samuel 18:11; 2 Kings 3:21; suffix חֲגֹרָתוֺ 1 Kings 2:5; Plural חֲגֹרֹת Genesis 3:7; — girdle, loin-covering Genesis 3:7 (J); as article of women's dress Isaiah 3:24; belt of warrior 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21 (׳חֹגֵר ח), compare 2 Samuel 18:11. — On חֲג֖וֺרָה Isaiah 32:11 see חְגַר 1

Overview

חֲגוֹר (chagor) denotes the belt, sash, or loin-covering that encircles the waist. In Scripture it is never a mere accessory; it carries moral, social, and sometimes prophetic weight, anchoring both garments and symbolic meaning.

Old Testament Occurrences

Genesis 3:7 – Adam and Eve fashion “coverings” (chagor) of fig leaves, an inadequate self-made remedy for guilt that anticipates the need for divinely provided atonement (Genesis 3:21).

1 Samuel 18:4 – Jonathan hands David his belt along with robe, sword, and bow, outwardly sealing covenant loyalty and tacitly recognizing David’s royal destiny.

2 Samuel 18:11 – Joab promises “ten shekels of silver and a belt” to the soldier who might kill Absalom. A valued girdle marks honor and reward after victory.

2 Samuel 20:8 – Joab’s sword hangs from the belt that slips as he approaches Amasa, underscoring how the girdle functions as the warriors’ weapons-rig.

1 Kings 2:5 – David recalls that Joab “stained the belt around his waist” with innocent blood, turning the article that should signify service into evidence of guilt.

2 Kings 3:21 – Moab mobilizes “all who could gird on a belt,” a Hebrew idiom for every man ready for battle, highlighting the girdle as signal of military preparedness.

Isaiah 3:24 – In judgment upon proud daughters of Zion, “instead of a belt, a rope,” reversing dignity to disgrace; the forfeiture of the girdle mirrors the loss of honor.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Construction and Materials – Belts were leather, woven wool, or embroidered linen. Ornamental belts could bear metal studs or precious stones; a soldier’s belt often carried the sword.
2. Daily Function – The sash gathered loose robes for labor or travel (“girding up the loins”) and secured valuables. To the poor it doubled as loincloth; to nobles it displayed status.
3. Legal Symbolism – Handing over the belt could transfer authority (compare the exchange of sandal in Ruth 4:7–8 for property rights).
4. Military Use – Girding marked the moment between civilian passivity and combat readiness. Ancient reliefs depict belts tightly cinched before battle.
5. Ritual Parallels – Priests wore a unique sash (another Hebrew term, avnet) but the shared imagery of encircling strength ties chagor to priestly service and sanctity.

Theological Themes

Covering Shame – From Eden forward, the need for a better girdle foreshadows God’s provision of a substitutionary covering in the coats of skins (Genesis 3:21) and ultimately in Christ.

Covenant Devotion – Jonathan’s gifting of his belt to David pictures surrender of personal rights to God’s chosen king; the believer likewise yields all to Jesus Christ.

Readiness and Watchfulness – To “gird” is to prepare (Exodus 12:11; Luke 12:35). The physical belt illustrates spiritual readiness: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14).

Honor versus Humiliation – Isaiah contrasts belt with rope; revelation of sin strips the sinner of dignity, whereas righteousness restores it.

Guilt and Bloodshed – Joab’s blood-spattered belt warns that outward trappings cannot hide inner violence; only repentance cleanses defilement.

Typological and Prophetic Connections

• The forfeited girdle in Isaiah 3 prefigures national exile, when Israel’s glory is exchanged for bondage.
• The Messianic Servant is “girded with righteousness” (Isaiah 11:5), a prophetic reversal of Adam’s failed girding and a pledge that Christ supplies what man cannot.
• Believers share in Christ’s victory attire: “Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed” (Revelation 16:15).

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Preach the necessity of divine covering. Self-made belts of morality cannot erase guilt.
2. Encourage covenant loyalty modeled by Jonathan’s surrendered girdle—faithful friendship, sacrificial love.
3. Cultivate spiritual preparedness. Teach saints to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13), tightening every loose thought in obedience to truth.
4. Warn against Joab’s stained belt: unresolved sin mars service. Restoration requires confession and cleansing (1 John 1:9).
5. Offer hope: judgment that removes the belt is not God’s last word. In Christ, shame is replaced with “garments of salvation” and the everlasting sash of gladness (Isaiah 61:10).

Related Passages for Further Study

Exodus 12:11; 1 Kings 20:11; Isaiah 11:5; Jeremiah 13:1–11; Luke 12:35; Ephesians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:13.

בַּחֲגֹֽרָתוֹ֙ בחגרתו וַחֲגֹרָ֖ה וחגרה חֲג֥וֹר חֲגֹרָה֙ חֲגֹרֹֽת׃ חֲגֹרֽוֹ׃ חֲגוֹרָ֤ה חגור חגורה חגרה חגרו׃ חגרת׃ ba·ḥă·ḡō·rā·ṯōw bachagoraTo baḥăḡōrāṯōw chaGor chagoRah chagoRo chagoRot ḥă·ḡō·rāh ḥă·ḡō·rōṯ ḥă·ḡō·rōw ḥă·ḡō·w·rāh ḥă·ḡō·wr ḥăḡōrāh ḥăḡōrōṯ ḥăḡōrōw ḥăḡōwr ḥăḡōwrāh vachagoRah wa·ḥă·ḡō·rāh waḥăḡōrāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts