John 13:2-11 · Bible study
John 13:2-11 Commentary: Footwashing, Cleansing, and Betrayal
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Jesus washing the disciples' feet in John 13:2-11: humility, spiritual cleansing, and the tension between Satan's work and Judas's responsibility.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus performs the lowliest servant’s task to teach humility and to symbolize the spiritual cleansing needed for ongoing communion with him.
- Key words: λελουμένος (bathed all over) vs. νίπτειν (wash part of the body); παραδιδόντα (the one betraying, present participle); γινομένου (while supper was taking place).
- Main debate: How does the devil’s putting betrayal into Judas’s heart relate to Judas’s own moral responsibility? All traditions hold Judas guilty, but they differ on how to articulate the relationship between divine sovereignty, satanic temptation, and human choice.
- Theological theme: Justification and sanctification: believers are completely clean through Christ (bathed) but need daily cleansing (footwashing). The passage also models servant leadership as an essential mark of discipleship.
- Best use: Maundy Thursday liturgy, sermons on humility, small-group studies on the meaning of discipleship and daily repentance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
2The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.
4So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.
5After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”
7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8“Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”
10Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”
11For He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God,
4arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”
8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
11For he knew him who would betray him; therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”
KJV King James Version 1769
2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5After 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.
6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10Jesus 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.
11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
2And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and goeth unto God,
4riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself.
5Then he poureth water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6So he cometh to Simon Peter. He saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt understand hereafter.
8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10Jesus saith to him, He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
11For he knew him that should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
2And supper being come, the devil already having put it into the heart of Judas of Simon, Iscariot, that he may deliver him up,
3Jesus knowing that all things the Father hath given to him--into his hands, and that from God he came forth, and unto God he goeth,
4doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself;
5afterward he putteth water into the basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe with the towel with which he was being girded.
6He cometh, therefore, unto Simon Peter, and that one saith to him, `Sir, thou--dost thou wash my feet?'
7Jesus answered and said to him, `That which I do thou hast not known now, but thou shalt know after these things;'
8Peter saith to him, `Thou mayest not wash my feet--to the age.' Jesus answered him, `If I may not wash thee, thou hast no part with me;'
9Simon Peter saith to him, `Sir, not my feet only, but also the hands and the head.'
10Jesus saith to him, `He who hath been bathed hath no need save to wash his feet, but he is clean altogether; and ye are clean, but not all;'
11for he knew him who is delivering him up; because of this he said, `Ye are not all clean.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
2And during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas [son] of Simon, Iscariote, that he should deliver him up,
3[Jesus,] knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came out from God and was going to God,
4rises from supper and lays aside his garments, and having taken a linen towel he girded himself:
5then he pours water into the washhand basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the linen towel with which he was girded.
6He comes therefore to Simon Peter; and he says to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou dost not know now, but thou shalt know hereafter.
8Peter says to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash thee, thou hast not part with me.
9Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
10Jesus says to him, He that is washed all over needs not to wash save his feet, but is wholly clean; and ye are clean, but not all.
11For he knew him that delivered him up: on account of this he said, Ye are not all clean.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
2And when supper was done (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him),
3Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands and that he came from God and goeth to God,
4He riseth from supper and layeth aside his garments and, having taken a towel, girded himself.
5After that, he putteth water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
6He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7Jesus answered and said to him: What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet, Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me.
9Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.
10Jesus saith to him: He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all.
11For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 13:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage weaves together several themes: Jesus’ full knowledge of his divine origin and destiny, his humble service to the disciples, the spiritual cleansing required for union with him, and the tragic presence of Judas’s betrayal. The Greek grammar is precise. Vincent notes that the present participle ginomenou means “while supper was in progress,” not after it ended. The aorist edōken (“gave”) in verse 3 marks the Father’s gift of authority as a completed act. Jesus then rises, lays aside his outer garments, and takes a towel, verbs in the present tense that make the scene vivid (Barnes).
The key word distinction in verse 10, leloumenos (bathed all over) vs. nipsasthai (wash feet), shows that the disciples are already clean through Jesus’ word but still need daily cleansing (Calvin, Poole). On the question of Judas, the commentators agree the devil put betrayal into his heart, yet Judas is not excused. Calvin states that Satan’s agency does not transfer guilt; the will of Judas is guilty. The present participle paradidonta (the one betraying) in verse 11 indicates an ongoing act, even at the table, Judas is in the process of betraying (Vincent). Jesus washes all feet, including Judas’s, showing that the offer of cleansing is real even for the one who rejects it. The passage calls readers to accept Christ’s washing and to serve one another with the same humility.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Satan as inciting cause, Judas freely willing: The devil ‘put into the heart’ (v.2) but Judas is identified as the betrayer (v.11); commentators like Calvin and Barnes emphasize both factors without resolving the paradox.
- Satan’s action as a form of divine permission: The context of John’s theology (sovereignty over evil) suggests that Satan cannot act beyond what God permits; Judas’s guilt does not make him a mere puppet.
What is clear: Jesus washed the feet of all twelve disciples, including Judas, and the act symbolizes the cleansing necessary for fellowship with him — yet Judas rejected that cleansing and bore responsibility for his betrayal.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of the meal | The footwashing occurred during a supper, not after it ended. | Whether this was the Passover meal itself or a meal the day before. Some hold it was the Passover; others place it earlier. |
| Meaning of 'washed' (bathed) vs. 'wash' (feet) | The two different Greek verbs point to two kinds of cleansing: one complete (initial salvation), the other partial (ongoing forgiveness). | Some traditions identify the bath with baptism and footwashing with penance; others see the footwashing as a symbol of daily confession without a sacramental framework. |
| Judas's responsibility and the devil's role | Both the devil's agency and Judas's personal guilt are affirmed in the text. | How these relate: some emphasize divine sovereignty over evil, others stress human free will resisting grace. |
| Is footwashing a sacrament or an example? | The passage carries deep spiritual meaning beyond a mere cultural custom. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions treat footwashing as a rite tied to Holy Orders or Maundy Thursday; most Protestant traditions see it as a pattern for humble service, not an ordinance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Footwashing was a standard act of hospitality in first-century Judea. Roads were dusty, and people wore sandals. When guests entered a home, the lowest servant or slave would wash their feet. To take that role was a mark of extreme condescension. In the ancient world, the task was considered too humiliating for a free person. The basin (niptēr) was a large copper vessel commonly found in Oriental houses (Cambridge Bible). The towel (lention) is a Latin loanword, indicating a linen cloth (Vincent).
The meal itself is likely the Passover supper, though some commentators debate the exact day. What matters is that Jesus rises in the middle of the meal (ek tou deipnou), leaving the table to perform a servant’s work. The evangelist frames this action with two pieces of information: the devil had already put betrayal into Judas’s heart (verse 2), and Jesus knew the Father had given all things into his hands and that he came from God and was going to God (verse 3). In Jewish thought, the heart is the center of intention and will. The devil placing an idea into the heart does not remove human responsibility; rather, it sets up the conflict between divine sovereignty and human choice that runs through the passion narrative.
By verse 11 it is clear that Judas, though outwardly part of the group, is not spiritually clean. John later reports that after receiving the morsel, Satan entered Judas (13:27). The footwashing thus occurs in an atmosphere of betrayal that makes Jesus’ condescension even more striking: he washes the feet of the man who will hand him over to death.
Textual Notes
The most notable textual variant occurs in verse 2. Some manuscripts read deipnou ginomenou (present participle, “while supper was taking place”), while others read deipnou genomenou (aorist participle, “supper having ended”). The present participle is better attested and fits the narrative flow, since the supper is not over (see John 13:26). The consulted sources note no other significant variants in this passage. The readings that affect interpretation are the lexical choices already discussed, not textual uncertainty.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this passage has been a cornerstone for teaching on humility and service. Augustine used it to emphasize Christ’s condescension and the necessity of letting Christ cleanse us. In the medieval period, the practice of footwashing on Maundy Thursday became widespread in both Eastern and Western churches, often performed by the clergy in imitation of Christ. Reformers such as Calvin redirected the focus to the spiritual meaning: Christ’s cleansing is essential for any part in him, and the outward act points to inward grace. Wesley’s Explanatory Notes highlight the necessity of submission to Christ’s will. In modern times, the passage speaks powerfully to those in leadership, reminding them that authority without service is a contradiction of the gospel.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Example of Humility, Jesus, knowing his divine authority, takes the lowest position. He strips off his outer robe and wraps a towel around his waist. The creator of the cosmos washes dusty feet. This redefines greatness as service.
- The Necessity of Cleansing, Peter protests, but Jesus insists: “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” The bath represents initial justification; the footwashing represents ongoing sanctification. Believers who are already clean still need daily forgiveness and renewal.
- The Shadow of Betrayal, The devil works in Judas’s heart, yet Judas is not a puppet. Jesus washes his feet knowing what he will do. Grace is offered even to the betrayer, but it must be received. Judas remains “not clean.”
Five-point outline
- Jesus’ Self-Knowledge (v.3), He knows where he came from and where he is going. That confidence frees him to serve without loss of dignity.
- The Act of Washing (vv.4-5), Each step is deliberate: rising, laying aside garments, taking a towel, pouring water, washing, wiping. Jesus does not delegate.
- Peter’s Resistance (vv.6-8), First modesty, then flat refusal. Jesus meets both with a firm promise: later Peter will understand, and there is no part with Christ without his washing.
- Peter’s Overreaction (v.9), “Not my feet only, but my hands and my head!” He swings from resistance to excess, showing he still does not grasp the distinction between the bath and the footwashing.
- The Distinction and the Discernment (vv.10-11), Those who have bathed are clean all over; they only need their feet washed. But not everyone present is clean. Jesus sees the heart: Judas is not part of the clean remnant.
Illustration hooks
- A CEO who takes a turn scrubbing the office toilets during a team clean-up day. The act speaks louder than any memo about humility.
- A parent who kneels down to wash mud off a child’s feet after a day at the park. The child can do it himself, but the parent’s hands communicate love.
- A church potluck where someone quietly washes the serving dishes while others socialize. The servant is unseen, but the act mirrors Christ.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer, how should I treat someone who has hurt or betrayed me?
- Why is it so hard to let others serve me in humble ways? Does my pride keep me from receiving grace?
- I already belong to Christ. Why do I still need daily confession and cleansing?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Jesus at his most vulnerable and most authoritative at the same time. He takes a servant’s role, yet he speaks with the certainty of one who holds all things. The exchange with Peter draws us into a question: what does it mean to be washed by Jesus? And the presence of Judas reminds us that grace can be refused. As you gather, let the text guide your conversation. Resist the urge to rush to application. Let the details of the story shape your thinking first.
Discussion questions
- What details in verses 2-4 strike you as most surprising? Consider the timing, Jesus’ knowledge, and his actions.
- Peter says, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” The pronouns are emphatic. What is Peter really objecting to, the act itself, the role reversal, or something else?
- Jesus tells Peter, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.” When have you obeyed Christ without yet understanding his purpose?
- Why does Jesus connect having a part with him to being washed? What does “a part with me” include or exclude?
- What does the distinction between “bathed” and “wash the feet” tell us about the Christian life? How does this shape your view of ongoing repentance?
- Judas receives the same footwashing as the others. What does that teach us about the offer of grace, its scope and its limits?
- How can your group “wash one another’s feet” in a practical way this week? What would that look like in your context?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezra 7:27 | Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem; |
| Nehemiah 2:12 | I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me except the animal that I rode on. |
| Luke 22:3 | Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve. |
| Luke 22:31 | The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, |
| John 6:70 | Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” |
| John 6:71 | Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. |
| John 13:26 | Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. |
| John 13:27 | After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes corrects the common translation "Supper being ended" to "while they were at supper," noting the meal continued afterward. He emphasizes that Jesus acted with full awareness of His divine origin, making the foot-washing even more striking. The act teaches that without Christ's cleansing, no one can have part with Him.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that Christ washed the disciples' feet knowing Judas would betray Him, showing astonishing patience. He also stresses Christ's composure came from knowing the Father had given all things into His hands. Peter's refusal is rebuked not as modesty but as disobedience, and the footwashing symbolizes the daily cleansing believers still need after initial salvation.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary draws a careful distinction in John 13:10 between two different Greek words for washing: one means bathing the whole body, the other washing only the feet. A believer has already been spiritually bathed and does not need complete renewal, only the daily cleansing of stains picked up along life’s path.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the supper here was not the Last Supper but a meal at Bethany two days before Passover. He points out that no Passover rites or institution of the Lord's Supper appear, and the context shows this happened before the feast, allowing time for Judas to arrange the betrayal.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a sharp distinction between two kinds of cleansing in this passage: the complete bath of justification and regeneration, received once at conversion, and the daily foot-washing that removes the stains of contact with the world. He notes that Peter's refusal to let Jesus wash him was not humility but self-willed presumption, and that Judas never received the cleansing at all.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats the foot-washing not as a sacrament or
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights Christ's profound humility: though fully aware of His divine greatness, He still stoops to wash His disciples' feet. Refusing this service means refusing any share in Christ. For those already cleansed, the ongoing need is to walk holy and undefiled.