^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.” ^13:11(For Jesus²⁸ knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is²⁹ clean.”)³⁰

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Footnotes

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.
28 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
29 Grk “Not all of you are.”
30 This is a parenthetical note by the author.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“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.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“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.” For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

NLTNew Living Translation

“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.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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.” (For he knew the one who would betray him; because of this he said, “Not all of you are clean.”)

KJV 1900King James Version

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. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

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