^13:3Because Jesus⁸ knew that the Father had handed all things over to him,⁹ and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ^13:4he got up from the meal, removed¹⁰ his outer clothes,¹¹ took a towel and tied it around himself.¹²^13:5He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.¹³

^13:6Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter¹⁴ said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash¹⁵ my feet?” ^13:7Jesus replied,¹⁶ “You do not understand¹⁷ what I am doing now, but you will understand¹⁸ after these things.” ^13:8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”¹⁹ Jesus replied,²⁰ “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”²¹^13:9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash²² not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” ^13:10Jesus replied,²³ “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet,²⁴ but is completely²⁵ clean.²⁶ And you disciples²⁷ are clean, but not every one of you.”

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John 13:5: Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Footnotes

8 Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 Grk “had given all things into his hands.”
10 Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
11 The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta himatia) 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.
12 Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezōsen heauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see ). 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 Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”
14 Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.
15 Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”
16 Grk “answered and said to him.”
17 Grk “You do not know.”
18 Grk “you will know.”
19 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.
20 Grk “Jesus answered him.”
21 Or “you have no part in me.”
22 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.
23 Grk “Jesus said to him.”
24 Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”
25 Or “entirely.”
26 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. ; compare Matt 16:21–23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).
27 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.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

“You will never wash my feet,” Peter said.

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

“One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

because he knew that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God, he got up from the dinner and took off his outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it around himself. Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them dry with the towel which he had tied around himself.

Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet forever!” Jesus replied to him, “Unless I wash you, you do not have a share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed only needs to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

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