“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”(Exodus 12:11)
Prepare yourself for a task. Get prepared.
To gird your loins means tying the loose ends of your lower garment so as to get ready to move. It is an action common for the Israelites and especially soldiers in the Roman era. It is first mentioned in the Book of Exodus. During the Passover, God would strike down every firstborn man and animal in Egypt so as to bring judgement to Egypt for the hardship they created for Israelites. So God instructed the Israelites to tuck their cloak into the belt and eat quickly to get ready to move. The same phrase appears later in Ephesians 6:14 in a figurative sense. Paul asked the disciples to gird their loins so as to get prepared against all schemes of the devil.
The athletes are girding their loins for the race next month.
NIV official site
Chinese Bible (???)
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!