Dost thou wash my feet? - Every word here is emphatic. Dost thou - the Son of God, the Messiah - perform the humble office of a servant - toward me, a sinner? This was an expression of Peter’s humility, of his reverence for Jesus, and also a refusal to allow him to do it. It is possible, though not certain from the text, that he came to Simon Peter first. read more
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
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
Then. = Therefore. Simon Peter . App-141 . Peter. No word for Peter. Some substitute ekeinos (he, - emphatic), but L T Trm. A WI R reject it. Lord. Greek. kurios. App-98 . thou . . . my . The pronouns are emphatic. read more
So he cometh to Simon Peter. He saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?Peter was certainly among them who coveted the position of "head man" in the coming kingdom; and the paradox of Jesus the Lord of life stooping to wash his feet was such an incongruous thing that Peter protested it. read more
John 13:6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter:— The word rendered then, does not imply either that Jesus came first to Peter, or that he had washed any other person before him; but is used in the same sense as the English particle now, without any respect to time or order, and only to imply that a minute detail was going to follow. There is great emphasis in the word Thou in this verse. Lord, dost THOU wash My feet? "THOU, who art the Son of God, the Messiah, and consequently the King of the Jews,... read more
6-11. Peter saith . . . Lord, dost thou wash my feet?—Our language cannot bring out the intensely vivid contrast between the "Thou" and the "my," which, by bringing them together, the original expresses, for it is not good English to say, "Lord, Thou my feet dost wash?" But every word of this question is emphatic. Thus far, and in the question itself, there was nothing but the most profound and beautiful astonishment at a condescension to him quite incomprehensible. Accordingly, though there... read more
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
1. Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet 13:1-20Jesus began His farewell address (cf. Moses, Deuteronomy 31-33; Joshua, Joshua 23-24; Paul, Acts 20) with an object lesson. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - John 13:6
It cannot be determined with whom our Lord commenced the feet-washing. Some of the older expositors have said it was with Judas. The οὖν might denote that several of the disciples, in awestruck wonder, had submitted without a word, and then ( οὖν resumptive) he cometh to Simon Peter. But the great bulk of ancient and modern expositors suppose that Peter was the first to whom this great grace was offered. At all events, in his impulsive manner always rushing forwards, and ready to... read more