fight is on is to be sought with a view to holding one’s position when the conflict is atan end,—neither dislodged nor felled, but standing victorious at one’s post. Ver. 14. στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ: stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth. In some few authorities στῆτε οὖν is omitted (Victor., Ambrstr.); in others the οὖν is omitted and στῆτε is retained (D*FG, Cyp., etc.). ὀσφυς is accentuated ὀσφῦς by TR and Treg.; but ὀσφύς by LTWH. The aor, στῆτε may perhaps be best ren- dered, ‘‘ take your stand,” the definite act beingin view. The spiritual warrior who has kept his position victorious and stood above his conquered foe in one ‘evil day,” is to take his stand again ready to face another such critical day, should it come. The following sentences explain what has to be done if he is thus to stand. The aorists can scarcely be the contemporary aorists or definitions of the way in which they were to stand; for it would not be the mark of the good soldier that he left his equipment to be attended to till the very time when he had to take up his position. They are proper pasts, stating what has to be done before one takes up his stand. First in the list of these articles of equip- ment is mentioned the girdle. Appropri- ately so; for the soldier might be furnished with every other part of his equipment, and yet, wanting the girdle, would be neither fully accoutred nor securely armed. His belt or baldric (ζωστήρ or (later) ζωνή) was no mere adornment of the soldier, but an essential part of his equipment. Passing round the loins and by the end of the breastplate (in later times supporting the sword), it was of especial use in keep- ing other parts in place, and in securing the proper soldierly attitude and free- dom of movement. The περιζωσάμενοι is better rendered (with RV) “ having girded your loins,” than “having your loins girt” (with AV); for the girding is the soldier’s own act by help of God’s grace (cf. Luke xii. 35 and the ἀναζωσά- pevol τὰς ὀσφύας of τ Pet. i. 13). The sing, ὀσφύς is used now and again in
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