^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

Read in Logos

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

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.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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.

NLTNew Living Translation

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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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.

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

Public Domain