SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:5
Luego puso agua en una vasija, y comenz a lavar los pies de los discípulos, y a limpiarlos con la toalla con que estaba ceido.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 13:5
Verse 5. Poureth water into a bason, &c.] This was the office of the meanest slaves. When David sent to Abigail, to inform her that he had chosen her for wife, she arose and said: Behold, let thy handmaid be a SERVANT, to WASH the FEET of the SERVANTS of my lord, 1 Sam. xxv. 41. Some of the ancients have supposed that our Lord began with washing the feet of Judas, to inspire him with sentiments of compunction and remorse, to melt him down with kindness, and to show all his disciples how they should act towards their enemies. Dr. Lightfoot supposes he washed the feet of Peter, James, and John only; but this is not likely: the verb arcesqai in the sacred writings, signifies, not only to commence, but to finish an act, Acts i. 1; and in the Septuagint, Gen. ii. 3. There is every reason to believe that he washed the feet of all the twelve. See on ver. 9.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. After that be poureth water into a bason , etc.] This also was a servile work, and what properly belonged to servants to do; (see John 2:5-7). The bason to wash the feet in, called by the Jews ylgr tbyr[ , was fixed by their doctors to hold, from two logs to nine kabs f574 ; not from two logs to ten, as Dr. Lightfoot has rendered the passage referred to. A kab held about a quart of our measure, and a log was the fourth part of a kab. And began to wash the disciples feet . This custom of washing the feet was not used by the Jews at their passover, nor at their private entertainments, or common meals, but at the reception of strangers or travellers, which were just come off of a journey, whereby they had contracted dirt and filth, and was a servile work, never performed by superiors to their inferiors, but by inferiors to superiors; as by the wife to the husband, by the son to the father, and by the servant to his master; and was an instance of great humility in any others, as in Abigail, who said to David, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord, ( 1 Samuel 25:41), upon which place some Jewish Rabbins have this note: this she said, hwn[h dx l[ , by way of humility, to show, that it would have been sufficient to her, if she became a wife to one of the servants of David, and washed his feet, as was the custom of a wife to her husband.
But what a surprising instance of humility and condescension is this, that Christ, the Lord and master, should wash the feet of his disciples, when it was their proper work and business to have washed his? Though Dr.
Lightfoot says, he does not remember that this was expected from the disciple toward his master, unless included in that rule, that the disciple is to honour his master, more than his father; whereas it was a fixed point with the Jews, that all works which a servant does to his master, a disciple does to his master, except unloosing his shoe.
Since therefore it was the work of a servant to wash his masters feet, a disciple was obliged to do this to his master likewise: and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded ; as he began he went through with his work; and having washed their feet, he wipes them clean; which may design the purity of the lives and conversations of the saints in general, and of the ministers of the Gospel in particular, whose feet are beautiful when shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and their conversations are as become the Gospel they preach; both which they have from Christ.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-17 - Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he ha purchased them, and paid dear for them, and he has set them apart for himself; they devote themselves to him as a peculiar people. Those who Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believe from the love of Christ. We know not when our hour will come, therefor what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to be undone. What way of access the devil has to men's hearts we cannot tell. But some sins are so exceedingly sinful, and there is so littl temptation to them from the world and the flesh, that it is plain the are directly from Satan. Jesus washed his disciples' feet, that he might teach us to think nothing below us, wherein we may promote God' glory, and the good of our brethren. We must address ourselves to duty and must lay aside every thing that would hinder us in what we have to do. Christ washed his disciples' feet, that he might signify to the the value of spiritual washing, and the cleansing of the soul from the pollutions of sin. Our Lord Jesus does many things of which even his own disciples do not for the present know the meaning, but they shal know afterward. We see in the end what was the kindness from event which seemed most cross. And it is not humility, but unbelief, to pu away the offers of the gospel, as if too rich to be made to us, or to good news to be true. All those, and those only, who are spirituall washed by Christ, have a part in Christ. All whom Christ owns an saves, he justifies and sanctifies. Peter more than submits; he begs to be washed by Christ. How earnest he is for the purifying grace of the Lord Jesus, and the full effect of it, even upon his hands and head Those who truly desire to be sanctified, desire to be sanctifie throughout, to have the whole man, with all its parts and powers, mad pure. The true believer is thus washed when he receives Christ for his salvation. See then what ought to be the daily care of those wh through grace are in a justified state, and that is, to wash their feet; to cleanse themselves from daily guilt, and to watch agains everything defiling. This should make us the more cautious. From yesterday's pardon, we should be strengthened against this day' temptation. And when hypocrites are discovered, it should be n surprise or cause of stumbling to us. Observe the lesson Christ her taught. Duties are mutual; we must both accept help from our brethren and afford help to our brethren. When we see our Master serving, we cannot but see how ill it becomes us to domineer. And the same love which led Christ to ransom and reconcile his disciples when enemies still influences him.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειτα 1534 ADV βαλλει 906 5719 V-PAI-3S υδωρ 5204 N-ASN εις 1519 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM νιπτηρα 3537 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ ηρξατο 756 5662 V-ADI-3S νιπτειν 3538 5721 V-PAN τους 3588 T-APM ποδας 4228 N-APM των 3588 T-GPM μαθητων 3101 N-GPM και 2532 CONJ εκμασσειν 1591 5721 V-PAN τω 3588 T-DSN λεντιω 3012 N-DSN ω 3739 R-DSN ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S διεζωσμενος 1241 5772 V-RPP-NSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. A bason (nipthra). Only here in the New Testament. From niptw, to wash.
