The Meaning of John 13:10 Explained

John 13:10

KJV: Jesus 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.

YLT: Jesus 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;'

Darby: Jesus 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.

ASV: Jesus 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  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. 

What does John 13:10 Mean?

Study Notes

needeth
The underlying imagery is of an oriental returning from the public baths to his house. His feet would contract defilement and require cleansing, but not his body. So the believer is cleansed as before the law from all sin "once for all" Hebrews 10:1-12 but needs ever to bring his daily sins to the Father in confession, that he may abide in unbroken fellowship with the Father and with the Son 1 John 1:1-10 . The blood of Christ answers forever to all the law could say as to the believer's guilt, but he needs constant cleansing from the defilement of sin,; Ephesians 5:25-27 ; 1 John 5:6 . Typically, the order of approach to the presence of God was, first, the brazen altar of sacrifice, and then the laver of cleansing Exodus 40:6 ; Exodus 40:7 . See, also, the order in Exodus 30:17-21 . Christ cannot have communion with a defiled saint, but He can and will cleanse him.
washed Lit. bathed. The Greek word signifies a complete ablution. "Wash" is another word.

Context Summary

John 13:1-11 - Jesus Glorifies Humble Service
In the Temple the laver preceded the brazen altar. It was kept filled with pure water for the constant washing of the priests; Exodus 30:18-21; Leviticus 16:4. We cannot have fellowship with Christ at Calvary or on Olivet unless we draw near with our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
The Synoptic Gospels tell us that on their way to the feast the disciples had yielded to contention and pride. It was needful that these should be put away, and our Lord's love was equal to the occasion. He loved them to the end of His life and to the end of love. Only such love could have made saints and apostles out of such material.
Jesus began a work which has never ceased, and which will continue "till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more." When we have contracted guilt, we have not to begin our whole life over again, but to go back to the place where we dropped the thread of obedience and begin there. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 13

1  Jesus washes the disciples' feet, and exhorts them to humility and charity
18  He foretells and discovers to John by a token, that Judas should betray him;
31  commands them to love one another;
36  and forewarns Peter of his denials

Greek Commentary for John 13:10

He that is bathed [ο λελουμενος]
Perfect passive articular participle of λουω — louō to bathe the whole body (Acts 9:37). Save to wash his feet Aleph and some old Latin MSS. have only νιπσασται — nipsasthai but the other words are genuine and are really involved by the use of νιπσασται — nipsasthai (first aorist middle infinitive of νιπτω — niptō to wash parts of the body) instead of λουσασται — lousasthai to bathe the whole body (just used before). The guest was supposed to bathe Because of the bath. For καταρος — katharos meaning external cleanliness see Matthew 23:26; Matthew 27:59; but in John 15:3 it is used for spiritual purity as here in “ye are clean” Every whit All of the body because of the bath. For this same predicate use of ολος — holos see John 9:34. But not all Strongly put exception Plain hint of the treachery of Judas who is reclining at the table after having made the bargain with the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:11). A year ago Jesus knew that Judas was a devil and said to the apostles: “One of you is a devil” (John 6:64, John 6:70). But it did not hurt them then nor did they suspect each other then or now. It is far-fetched to make Jesus here refer to the cleansing power of his blood or to baptism as some do. [source]
He that is washed - wash his feet [ὁ λελουμένος - νίψασθαι]
The A.V. obliterates the distinction between λούω , to bathe, to apply water to the whole body, and νίπτω , to wash a part of the body. Thus, when Dorcas died (Acts 9:37) they bathed her body ( λούσαντες ). The proverb in 2 Peter 2:22, is about the sow that has been bathed all over ( λουσαμένη ). On the other hand, he who fasts must wash ( νὶψαι ) his face (Matthew 6:17). Both verbs are always used of living beings in the New Testament. The word for washing things, as nets, garments, etc., is πλύνω . See Luke 5:2. All three verbs occur in Leviticus 15:11(Sept.). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 13:10

Mark 7:3 Diligently [πυγμηι]
Instrumental case, with the fist, up to the elbow, rubbing one hand and arm with the other hand clenched. Aleph had πυκνα — pukna probably because of the difficulty about πυγμηι — pugmēi (kin to Latin pugnus). Schultess considers it a dry wash or rubbing of the hands without water as a ritualistic concession. The middle voice νιπσωνται — nipsōntai means their own hands. This verb is often used for parts of the body while λουω — louō is used of the whole body (John 13:10). On the tradition of the elders see note on Matthew 15:2. [source]
John 15:3 Already ye are clean [ηδη υμεις καταροι εστε]
Potentially cleansed (Westcott) as in John 13:10 which see and John 17:19. [source]

What do the individual words in John 13:10 mean?

Says to him - Jesus The [one] having been bathed not has need if not the feet to wash but is clean wholly and you all clean are not all
Λέγει αὐτῷ ‹ὁ› Ἰησοῦς λελουμένος οὐκ ἔχει χρείαν εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας νίψασθαι ἀλλ’ ἔστιν καθαρὸς ὅλος καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε οὐχὶ πάντες

Λέγει  Says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
‹ὁ›  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
  The  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λελουμένος  having  been  bathed 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λούω  
Sense: to bathe, wash.
χρείαν  need 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: χρεία  
Sense: necessity, need.
πόδας  feet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.
νίψασθαι  to  wash 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Middle
Root: νίπτω  
Sense: to wash.
καθαρὸς  clean 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καθαρός  
Sense: clean, pure.
ὅλος  wholly 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅλος  
Sense: all, whole, completely.
ὑμεῖς  you  all 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
καθαροί  clean 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: καθαρός  
Sense: clean, pure.