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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_13:1-11
1Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" 7Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter." 8Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." 10Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."
Joh_13:1 "before the Feast of the Passover" John and the Synoptic Gospels disagree over whether this was the day before the Passover meal or the Passover meal itself. They both put the meal on Thursday and the crucifixion on Friday (cf. Joh_19:31; Mar_15:43; Luk_23:54). This Passover meal commemorated Israel's release from Egypt (cf. Exodus 12). John asserts that it was the day before the regular Passover meal (cf. Joh_18:28; Joh_19:14; Joh_19:31; Joh_19:42).
It is possible that the Essene community used a different calendar (i.e., the solar calendar from the books of Jubilees and Enoch, as a way to show their rejection of the current priesthood), which put the Passover a day earlier.
The Jerome Biblical Commentary summarizes current scholarship (p. 451) and assumes that John's "day before" is correct and that the Synoptic Gospels assert the meal's Passover symbolism. We must always be reminded that the Gospels are not western, cause and effect, chronological histories. History is written in many ways, not right or wrong, not true or false. History is an explanation of the past to serve current issues/needs/perspectives. The real issue is who/why wrote the history. The best discussion of the genre of historical narrative and Gospels is Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 89-126.
▣ "Jesus knowing that His hour had come" "Knowing" is a perfect active participle (like Joh_13:3). Jesus understood His unique relationship to the Father at least from the age of twelve (Luk_2:41-51). The coming of Greeks to see Him in Joh_12:20-23 showed Jesus that His hour of death and glorification had come (cf. Joh_2:4; Joh_7:6; Joh_7:8; Joh_7:30; Joh_8:20; Joh_12:23; Joh_12:27; Joh_17:1).
▣ "that He would depart out of this world to the Father" The Gospel of John continues to emphasize a vertical dualism, above vs. below (cf. Joh_13:3). Jesus was sent (cf. Joh_8:42) by the Father and now He will return. The Synoptic Gospels portray Jesus as teaching a horizontal dualism of the two Jewish ages, the already and not-yet tension of the Kingdom of God.
There are many questions about the Gospels that modern readers must address, but when all is said and done these sacred writings reveal a consistent biblical world-view.
1. there is one holy God
2. His special creation, mankind, has fallen into sin and rebellion
3. God has sent an incarnate Redeemer (i.e., Messiah)
4. mankind must respond by faith, repentance, obedience, and perseverance
5. there is a personal force of evil in opposition to God and His will
6. all conscious creation will give an account of their lives to God
The verb "depart" (metabainô) has the connotation in John's writings of the transition from fallen physical existence (i.e., the old age of sin and rebellion) into the new age of the Spirit and eternal life (cf. Joh_5:24; Joh_13:1; 1Jn_3:14; except for its use in Joh_7:3)
▣ "having loved His own" This Greek phrase was used in the Egyptian papyri (Moulton, Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament) for "near kin" (cf. Luk_8:19-21).
▣ "who were in the world" John uses the term world (kosmos) in several different senses.
1. this planet (cf. Joh_1:10; Joh_11:9; Joh_16:21; Joh_17:5; Joh_17:11; Joh_17:24; Joh_21:25)
2. human kind (cf. Joh_3:16; Joh_7:4; Joh_11:27; Joh_12:19; Joh_14:22; Joh_18:20; Joh_18:37
3. rebellious mankind (cf. Joh_1:10; Joh_1:29; Joh_3:16-21; Joh_4:42; Joh_6:33; Joh_7:7; Joh_9:39; Joh_12:31; Joh_15:18; Joh_17:25)
See Special Topic: Paul's Use of Kosmos at Joh_14:17.
▣ "He loved them to the end" This is the Greek word "telos," which means an accomplished purpose. This refers to Jesus' work of redemption for humanity on the cross. A form of this same word was Jesus' last word from the cross (cf. Joh_19:30), "It is finished," which we learn from the Egyptian papyri had the connotation of "paid in full"!
Joh_13:2 "During supper" There is a Greek manuscript variation at this point. The variant involves just one letter in a Greek word.
1. ginomenou, present participle (i.e., during the dinner), MSS à , B, L, W
2. genomenou, aorist participle (i.e., after the dinner), MSS P66, à i2, A, D
The UBS4 gives option #1 a "B" rating (almost certain).
This possibly means
1. after the supper
2. after the first Cup of Blessing, when the procedure required the washing of hands
3. after the third Cup of Blessing
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▣ "the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot" This is a perfect active participle. Jesus knew about Judas from the beginning (cf. Joh_6:70). The evil one (see Special Topic at Joh_12:31) had been tempting Judas for a long time, but in Joh_13:27 the devil took full control of him. See Special Topic: Heart at Joh_12:40. See full note on Judas at Joh_18:2.
Joh_13:3 "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands" This is a perfect active participle, like Joh_13:1, followed by an aorist active indicative. This is one of Jesus' astonishing statements on His self-understanding and authority (cf. Joh_3:35; Joh_17:2; Mat_28:18). The aorist tense is significant. The Father gave Jesus "all things" before the crucifixion. They were not given solely as a reward for His obedience, but because of Who He was! He knew who He was and washed the feet of those who were arguing over which of them was greatest!
▣ "He had come forth from God" This is the second of three items mentioned in Joh_13:3 that Jesus knew
1. the Father had given all things into His hands
2. He had come forth from God
3. He was going back to God (cf. Joh_7:33; Joh_14:12; Joh_14:28; Joh_16:5; Joh_16:10; Joh_16:17; Joh_16:28; Joh_20:17)
The last two are part of the above vs. below dualism so common in John.
Item #2 is a unique phrase in John (cf. Joh_8:42; Joh_13:3; Joh_16:28; Joh_16:30; Joh_17:8). It has both the inference of origin and place (i.e., Deity from heaven).
Joh_13:4 "got up from supper" Remember that they were reclining on their left elbows with their feet behind them, not sitting in chairs.
▣ "laid aside His garments" The plural refers to Jesus' outer garment (cf. Joh_19:23). It is interesting that this same verb is used in Joh_10:11; Joh_10:15; Joh_10:17-18 for Jesus' laying down His life (cf. Joh_13:37). This may be another of John's double entendres. It seems likely that the footwashing was more than just an object lesson on humility (cf. Joh_13:6-10).
Joh_13:5 "wash the disciples' feet" This Greek word was used for "washing only part of the body." The word in Joh_13:10 was used for an entire bath. Footwashing was the duty of a slave. Even rabbis did not expect this of their disciples. Jesus, knowing His own Deity, was willing to wash the feet of these jealous and ambitious disciples (even Judas)!
Joh_13:6 Peter's question was a rhetorical way of refusing Jesus' gesture. Peter often thought he knew what Jesus should and should not do (cf. Mat_16:22).
Joh_13:7 The Apostles, who lived with Jesus, did not always understand His actions and teachings (cf. Joh_2:22; Joh_10:6; Joh_12:16; Joh_14:26; Joh_16:18). This misunderstanding is a way of expressing the vertical dualism.
Joh_13:8 "Never shall You wash my feet" This is a strong double negative which meant "never no never under any circumstances."
▣ "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me" This is a third class conditional sentence. This verse implies that more was happening here than a mere practical object lesson. Joh_13:6-10 seem to relate to Jesus' work on the cross in forgiving sin.
The second phrase may reflect an OT idiom related to inheritance (cf. Deu_12:12; 2Sa_20:1; 1Ki_12:16). This is a very strong idiom of exclusion.
Joh_13:9 The Greek negative particle "not" (mç) indicates an implied imperative, "wash."
Joh_13:10 "He who has bathed" Jesus is speaking metaphorically of redemption. Peter has been washed (saved, cf. Joh_15:3; Tit_3:5), but needs to continue to repent (cf. 1Jn_1:9) to maintain intimate fellowship.
The other contextual possibility is that Jesus is speaking of Judas' betrayal (cf. Joh_13:11; Joh_13:18). So the metaphor of bathing refers either to (1) Peter's body or (2) the Apostolic group.
▣ "you are clean, but not all of you" The "you" is plural, referring to the inner circle of disciples, except for Judas (cf. Joh_13:11; Joh_13:18; Joh_6:70).
"Clean" refers to Jesus' message which they have embraced (cf. Joh_15:3). They are "clean" because they have believed/trusted/ faithed/received the One who is clean, Jesus.
For the phrase "not all of you," see Special Topic: Apostasy at Joh_6:64.
Joh_13:11 The TEV and NET Bibles put this verse in parenthesis, interpreting it as one of many editorial comments of the author.