John 13:5 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - John 13:4-5

Commentators differ as to the motive which induced our Lord to perform this menial act, to adopt the gesture, girding, and duties of the δοῦλος , to divest himself of his ἱμάτια or upper garments, and to appear and veritably to act as a slave. Strauss regards it as a mythical representation of one of our Lord's discourses on humility. Lange, with much pertinence, believes it to correspond to the pain, which he manifested, at the very last Supper, with the unseemly contest for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 13:4-11

The washing of the disciples' feet. This affecting incident occurred immediately after the controversy among the 'disciples as to which of them should be accounted greatest in the kingdom of heaven ( Luke 22:1-71 .). I. JESUS TAKES THE FORM OF A SERVANT . He washed the feet of his disciples, though it had been more their place to wash the feet of their Master. 1. His humility led him to stoop to the most menial offices in the day of his humiliation . 2. He... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 13:5

Began to wash ... - It was uniformly the office of a servant to wash the feet of guests, 1 Samuel 25:41. It became a matter of necessity where they traveled without shoes, and where they reclined on couches at meals. It should be remembered here that the disciples were not sitting at the table, as we do, but were lying with their feet extended from the table, so that Jesus could easily have access to them. See the notes at Matthew 23:6. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - John 13:3-6

John 13:3-6. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, &c. That is, although he was conscious of his own greatness, as being invested with the government of all things, and as having existed in heaven before he appeared on earth, and as being sure of returning to heaven again to reign there; yet he humbled himself in the manner here related, descended to the mean office of a slave, and washed the feet of his own disciples; an... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - John 13:1-20

140. Washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20)When they gathered for the meal that night, Jesus took the place of a servant and washed the disciples’ feet. By this action he symbolized firstly, the need for humility, and secondly, that he, the perfect servant, would cleanse people from sin through his death (John 13:1-5). Peter, not understanding this symbolic action, objected. Jesus responded that if he refused to let Jesus cleanse him, he could not be Jesus’ disciple. By this cleansing,... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - John 13:5

After that = Then. poureth = putteth, same word as in John 13:2 . wash . Greek. nipto. App-136 . wipe. Greek. ekmasso. Occurs elsewhere, John 11:2 ; John 12:3 .Luke 7:38 , Luke 7:44 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - John 13:5

Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.The background of this moving incident includes the jealousy of the Twelve among themselves as to who was "greatest," a jealousy that had been aggravated by the request of Zebedee's wife that James and John should have the chief seats in the new kingdom. The disciples' concern over questions like this could have been the reason that none of them volunteered to... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - John 13:5

5. began to wash—proceeded to wash. Beyond all doubt the feet of Judas were washed, as of all the rest. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - John 13:1-11

The act of foot-washing 13:1-11"In the Synoptic account of the events of this evening we read of a dispute among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. John does not record this, but he tells of an action of Jesus that rebuked their lack of humility more strikingly than any words could have done." [Note: Morris, p. 544.] The emphasis in John 13:1-3 is on what the Lord knew, and in John 13:4-5 it is on what He did. read more