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1 Samuel 24:3 KJV

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.

Its not clear what this phrase refers to since one translation seems to refer to it as relieving oneself.

1 Samuel 24:3 NASB

3 He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to [a]relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

Does this phrase refer to relieving oneself or sleeping?

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    Hiph. Impf. 3 ms. יָ֑סֶךְ לָךְ ψ 91:4, וַיָּ֑סֶךְ Ex 40:21 + 2 times; 2 ms. תָּסֵךְ ψ 5:12; Inf. cstr. הָסֵךְ 1 S 24:4; Pt. מֵסִיךְ Je 3:24 (Ges 67 );—screen, cover, 1. specif. c. אֶת־רַגְלָיו, i.e. with long garments, euphemism for evacuating the bowels, from posture assumed, so inf. Ju 3:24, pt. 1 S 24:4 (cf. NH הֵסֵיךְ, and v. GFM, HPS). Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (p. 697). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
    – Perry Webb
    Commented Aug 7, 2018 at 8:00
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    @perrywebb that sounds suspiciously like an answer...
    – user22655
    Commented Aug 7, 2018 at 12:11
  • 2
    That IS the answer - place it in the answer box.
    – user25930
    Commented Aug 7, 2018 at 12:45
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    @DrPeterMcGowan I guess where I'm subtle, you are explicit...
    – user22655
    Commented Aug 7, 2018 at 21:50

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According to the BDB Lexicon the Hebrew translated to "cover his feet" by the KJV (literal translation of לְהָסֵ֣ךְ אֶת־רַגְלָ֑יו) is a euphemism for emptying the bowels:

Hiph. Impf. 3 ms. יָ֑סֶךְ לָךְ ψ 91:4, וַיָּ֑סֶךְ Ex 40:21 + 2 times; 2 ms. תָּסֵךְ ψ 5:12; Inf. cstr. הָסֵךְ 1 S 24:4; Pt. מֵסִיךְ Je 3:24 (Ges 67 );—screen, cover, 1. specif. c. אֶת־רַגְלָיו, i.e. with long garments, euphemism for evacuating the bowels, from posture assumed, so inf. Ju 3:24, pt. 1 S 24:4 (cf. NH הֵסֵיךְ, and v. GFM, HPS). Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977).

Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (p. 697). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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In other parts where they go somewhere in private? Saul lay sleeping means he was sleeping. For they were all asleep means they were all asleep.

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    – Community Bot
    Commented Jul 7, 2022 at 3:23
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He was sleeping, not relieving himself. 1 Sam.26:7 ....Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster... 1 Sam 26:12. ...for they were all asleep.... Ruth 3:7 Was Boaz sleeping or relieving himself. KJV

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  • Hi Ron, welcome to the site. This answer would benefit from a little more detail. Please be sure to take the site tour and thanks for contributing!
    – Hold To The Rod
    Commented Jan 31, 2022 at 2:45
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In Ruth 3:7 he just forgot to take his footwear off. In other parts where they go somewhere in private it's referring to pulling your pants down to the floor in order to do number 1. It's just euphemism. It appears again in Judges 3:24.

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    – Community Bot
    Commented Jun 14, 2022 at 21:54
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Semen made a man unclean. To avoid this,men masturbated while standing up, requiring him to cover his feet. So to cover the feet is a euphemism for masturbation. Masturbation is not a condemned practice or sin in the Bible. Paul modifies the practice for Christians at 1 Thessalonians 4 3-8. To be practiced with "sanctification and honor" refers to sexual thoughts in line with married couples only. Of course, you could always have 400 wives like king Solomon. Masturbation was recommended as a tool to prevent fornication.

Masturbation is not a sin in the Bible. Apparently it was a common practice in early and 1st Century Jewish culture.

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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Commented Apr 23, 2023 at 16:18
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"Cover ones feet" simply means to use ones robe as a blanket in a sense while sleeping in the wilderness. Kind of like if you were camping with no blanket, you would pull your arms into your shirt to stay warm. The image we have is Saul in a fetal position sleeping with his feet tucked into his garment. Kinda like a baby swaddle.

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    – agarza
    Commented May 16, 2023 at 13:05

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