The Meaning of John 13:6 Explained

John 13:6

KJV: Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

YLT: He cometh, therefore, unto Simon Peter, and that one saith to him, 'Sir, thou -- dost thou wash my feet?'

Darby: He comes therefore to Simon Peter; and he says to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

ASV: So he cometh to Simon Peter. He saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  cometh he  to  Simon  Peter:  and  Peter  saith  unto him,  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my  feet? 

What does John 13:6 Mean?

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 13:6

So he cometh [ερχεται ουν]
Transitional use of ουν — oun and dramatic present again Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Emphatic contrast in position of ποδας — su mou (away from podas), “Dost thou my feet wash?” “Peter, we may suppose, drew his feet up, as he spoke, in his impulsive humility” (Bernard). [source]
Lord, dost thou wash my feet? [Κυριε συ μου νιπτεις τους ποδασ]
Emphatic contrast in position of ποδας — su mou (away from podas), “Dost thou my feet wash?” “Peter, we may suppose, drew his feet up, as he spoke, in his impulsive humility” (Bernard). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 13:6

John 6:68 Simon Peter []
Assailants of the authenticity of John's Gospel have asserted that it reveals an effort on the part of the writer to claim for the disciple whom Jesus loved a pre-eminence above Peter. The assertion is effectually contradicted by the narrative itself. See John 1:42; John 6:68; John 13:6; John 18:10, John 18:16; John 20:2, John 20:7; John 21:3, John 21:7, John 21:11, and notes on those passages. Peter's replying for the twelve, in this passage, is a case in point. [source]
John 1:35 Two of his disciples []
The one was Andrew (John 1:41), the other the Evangelist himself, who studiously refrains from mentioning his own name throughout the narrative. The name of James the elder also does not appear, nor that of Salome, the Evangelist's mother, who is mentioned by name in Mark's Gospel (Mark 15:40; Mark 16:1). The omission of his own name is the more significant from the fact that he is habitually exact in defining the names in his narrative. Compare the simple designation Simon (John 1:42) with subsequent occurrences of his name after his call, as John 1:42; John 13:6; John 21:15, etc. Also Thomas (John 11:16; John 20:24; John 21:2); Judas Iscariot (John 6:71; John 12:4; John 13:2, John 13:26); the other Judas (John 14:22). Note also that he never speaks of the Baptist as John the Baptist, like the other three Evangelists, but always as John. [source]
John 1:38 Turned [στραπεις]
Second aorist passive participle of στρεπω — strephō vividly picturing the sudden act of Jesus on hearing their steps behind him. Beheld First aorist middle participle of τεαομαι — theaomai (John 1:32). Both participles here express antecedent action to λεγει — legei (saith). Following Present active participle of ακολουτεω — akoloutheō (John 1:37). It was Christ‘s first experience of this kind and the two came from the Baptist to Jesus. What seek ye? Not “whom” Aramaic title for “Teacher” which John here translates by Διδασκαλε — Didaskale as he is writing late and for general readers. Luke, a Greek Christian, does not use it, but John recalls his first use of this term to Jesus and explains it. Matthew has it only in the greeting of Judas to the Master (Matthew 26:25, Matthew 26:49) and Mark once by Judas (Mark 14:45) and twice by Peter (Mark 9:5; Mark 11:21). John‘s Gospel has the disciples at first addressing Jesus by Rabbi while others address him by Κυριε — Kurie (Lord or Sir) as in John 4:11, John 4:49; John 5:7. Peter uses Κυριε — Kurie in John 6:68. In the end the disciples usually say Κυριε — Kurie (John 13:6, John 13:25, etc.), but Mary Magdalene says αββουνει — Rabbounei (John 20:16). Being interpreted Present passive participle of μετερμηνευω — methermēneuō late compound of μετα — meta and ερμηνευω — hermēneuō to explain (John 1:42), old word from ερμες — Hermes the god of speech (hermeneutics). John often explains Aramaic words (John 1:38, John 1:41, John 1:42; John 4:25; John 9:7, etc.). Where abidest thou? They wished a place for quiet converse with Jesus. [source]
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter []
Note the addition of Simon, and see on 1 Peter 1:1. The best-attested orthography is Symeon, which is the form of his name in Acts 15:14, where the account probably came from him. This also is the Hebraic form of the name found in the Septuagint, Revelation href="/desk/?q=re+7:7&sr=1">Revelation 7:7; Luke 2:25, Luke 2:34; Luke 3:30; Acts 13:1. The combined name, Simon Peter, is found Luke 5:8; John 13:6; John 20:2; John 21:15, and elsewhere, though in these instances it is given as Simon; Symeon occurring only in Acts 15:14. While his name is given with greater familiarity than in the first epistle, his official title, servant and apostle, is fuller. This combination, servant and apostle, occurs in no other apostolic salutation. The nearest approach to it is Titus 1:1. [source]

What do the individual words in John 13:6 mean?

He comes then to Simon Peter who says to Him Lord You of me do wash the feet
Ἔρχεται οὖν πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον λέγει αὐτῷ Κύριε σύ μου νίπτεις τοὺς πόδας

Ἔρχεται  He  comes 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
Σίμωνα  Simon 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Σίμων  
Sense: Peter was one of the apostles.
Πέτρον  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
λέγει  who  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.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
νίπτεις  do  wash 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: νίπτω  
Sense: to wash.
πόδας  feet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.

What are the major concepts related to John 13:6?

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