Genesis 18:4

18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ¹  you may all ²  wash your feet and rest under the tree.

Genesis 19:2

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ³  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁴  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁵ 

Genesis 43:24

43:24 The servant in charge ⁶  brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys.

Jude 1:21

1:21 maintain ⁷  yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating ⁸  the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. ⁹ 

Jude 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Jude, ¹⁰  a slave ¹¹  of Jesus Christ and brother of James, ¹²  to those who are called, wrapped in the love of ¹³  God the Father and kept for ¹⁴  Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Jude, ¹⁵  a slave ¹⁶  of Jesus Christ and brother of James, ¹⁷  to those who are called, wrapped in the love of ¹⁸  God the Father and kept for ¹⁹  Jesus Christ.

Luke 7:44

7:44 Then, ²⁰  turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, ²¹  but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

John 13:4-14

13:4 he got up from the meal, removed ²²  his outer clothes, ²³  took a towel and tied it around himself. ²⁴  13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. ²⁵ 

13:6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter ²⁶  said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash ²⁷  my feet?” 13:7 Jesus replied, ²⁸  “You do not understand ²⁹  what I am doing now, but you will understand ³⁰  after these things.” 13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” ³¹  Jesus replied, ³²  “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ³³  13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash ³⁴  not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 13:10 Jesus replied, ³⁵  “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, ³⁶  but is completely ³⁷  clean. ³⁸  And you disciples ³⁹  are clean, but not every one of you.” 13:11 (For Jesus ⁴⁰  knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is ⁴¹  clean.”) ⁴² 

13:12 So when Jesus ⁴³  had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table ⁴⁴  again and said to them, “Do you understand ⁴⁵  what I have done for you? 13:13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, ⁴⁶  for that is what I am. ⁴⁷  13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet.

John 13:1

Washing the Disciples’ Feet

13:1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time ⁴⁸  had come to depart ⁴⁹  from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. ⁵⁰ 

John 5:10

5:10 So the Jewish leaders ⁵¹  said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” ⁵² 

[18:4]  ¹ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ² tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.

[19:2]  ³ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁴ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁵ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[43:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “the man.”

[1:21]  ⁷ tn Or “keep.”

[1:21]  ⁸ tn Or “waiting for.”

[1:21]  ⁹ tn Grk “unto eternal life.”

[1:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹¹ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ¹² sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ¹⁷ sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.

[1:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”

[1:1]  ¹⁹ tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.

[7:44]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[7:44]  ²¹ sn It is discussed whether these acts in vv. 44-46 were required by the host. Most think they were not, but this makes the woman’s acts of respect all the more amazing.

[13:4]  ²² tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[13:4]  ²³ tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.

[13:4]  ²⁴ tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.

[13:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

[13:6]  ²⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”

[13:7]  ²⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[13:7]  ²⁹ tn Grk “You do not know.”

[13:7]  ³⁰ tn Grk “you will know.”

[13:8]  ³¹ tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.

[13:8]  ³² tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[13:8]  ³³ tn Or “you have no part in me.”

[13:9]  ³⁴ tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.

[13:10]  ³⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[13:10]  ³⁶ tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”

[13:10]  ³⁷ tn Or “entirely.”

[13:10]  ³⁸ sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).

[13:10]  ³⁹ tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.

[13:11]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:11]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Not all of you are.”

[13:11]  ⁴² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[13:12]  ⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

[13:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “Do you know.”

[13:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “rightly.”

[13:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “and I am these things.”

[13:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “his hour.”

[13:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).

[13:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).

[5:10]  ⁵¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9).

[5:10]  ⁵² tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.