Real Bible Translation

And the Favored was him who has clothed himself with hairs of a camel and a woman's girdle² of skin hide around the loins himself, and he who is eating locusts and wild/savage honey.

LITV Translation:
And John was clothed in camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loin, and eating locusts and wild honey.

ESV Translation:
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Footnotes

Strong's #2223, ζώνη, properly the lower girdle worn by women just above the hips.

ζώνη is not the normal word used for a man’s belt. The more typical term for a man's belt, especially in martial or practical contexts, is ζωστήρ.

Key Differences:

ζώνη:
- Commonly refers to a woman’s belt or girdle, particularly the lower girdle worn around the hips.
- It is associated with women’s attire, marriage, childbirth, and sometimes metaphorical or symbolic uses (e.g., in phrases related to conception or waist regions).
- When used for men, it often describes non-martial belts or metaphorical uses (e.g., the belt of Orion, zones of the Earth).
ζωστήρ:
- The primary term for a man’s belt, especially in military contexts.
- It denotes the functional girdle worn over armor or clothing, often securing weapons or equipment.
- Found in epic poetry (e.g., Homer), where it is regularly associated with warriors and their battle gear.

Supporting Examples:

ζώνη in Homer (e.g., Od. 5.231) clearly describes the girdle of women, emphasizing its use as part of feminine attire.
ζωστήρ in the Iliad frequently appears in martial contexts, describing the belts of male warriors: e.g., ζωστῆρες ἕαττο ("they put on their belts," Il. 3.332).

While ζώνη can occasionally refer to a man’s belt, such usage is less common and tends to occur in non-martial or figurative contexts. For example:

In Xenophon (Anabasis 1.6.10), ζώνη refers to the belt of barbarians, which held daggers, showing it could describe a practical belt worn by men, but it is secondary to ζωστήρ for Greek contexts.

Thus, ζώνη is primarily associated with women, while ζωστήρ is the standard term for a man’s belt, especially in contexts involving warriors or formal attire.