▼ Grk “his hour.”

▼ Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (hina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).

▼ Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).

▼ The full extent of Jesus’ love for his disciples is not merely seen in his humble service to them in washing their feet (the most common interpretation of the passage). The full extent of his love for them is demonstrated in his sacrificial death for them on the cross. The footwashing episode which follows then becomes a prophetic act, or acting out beforehand, of his upcoming death on their behalf. The message for the disciples was that they were to love one another not just in humble, self-effacing service, but were to be willing to die for one another. At least one of them got this message eventually, though none understood it at the time (see 1 John 3:16).

▼ Or “Supper.” To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between “dinner” and “supper” as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to “the evening meal.”

▼ At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil’s own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas’ heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one’s own body is indicated. Judas’ name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.

▼ Or “that he should hand over.”

▼ Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “had given all things into his hands.”

▼ Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

▼ The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta himatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23–24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.

▼ Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezōsen heauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.

▼ Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

▼ Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”

▼ Grk “answered and said to him.”

▼ Grk “You do not know.”

▼ Grk “you will know.”

▼ 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.

▼ Grk “Jesus answered him.”

▼ Or “you have no part in me.”

▼ 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.

▼ Grk “Jesus said to him.”

▼ Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”

▼ Or “entirely.”

▼ 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. 8; compare Matt 16:21–23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).

▼ 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.

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “Not all of you are.”

▼ This is a parenthetical note by the author.

▼ Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

▼ Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

▼ Grk “Do you know.”

▼ Or “rightly.”

▼ Grk “and I am these things.”

▼ I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).

▼ Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

▼ See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

▼ Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).

▼ Grk “If you know.”

▼ Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”

▼ Or “The one who shares my food.”

▼ Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ - Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958–59): 331-33.

▼ A quotation from Ps 41:9.

▼ Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF #12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”

▼ Grk “so that you may believe.”

▼ Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) here, but this is far from certain.

▼ Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

▼ Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.

▼ The one who sent me refers to God.