John 13 · Verse 10

John 13:10

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.
John 13:10, King James Version

John 13:10 in other translations

BSBJesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”
WEBJesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
ASVJesus 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.
YLTJesus 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;'
DARBYJesus 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.
BBEJesus said to him, He who is bathed has need only to have his feet washed and then he is clean all over: and you, my disciples, are clean, but not all of you.
WebsterJesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all.

What does John 13:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 13:6-11

6-11. Peter saith ... Lord, dost thou wash my feet?--Our language cannot bring out the intensely vivid contrast between the "Thou" and the "my," which, by bringing them together, the original expresses, for it is not good English to say, "Lord, Thou my feet dost wash?" But every word of this question is emphatic. Thus far, and in the question itself, there was nothing but the most profound and beautiful astonishment…

Read the full comment on John 13:6-11 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. He that is washed. This is a difficult passage, and interpreters have been divided about its meaning. Some have supposed that it was customary to bathe before eating the paschal supper, and that the apostles did it; Jesus having said, "he that hath bathed his body is clean except in regard to his feet--to the dirt contracted in returning from the bath, and that there was need only that the feet should be washed in order to prepare them properly to receive the supper." They suppose, also, that the lesson which Jesus meant to teach was that they were really pure (Jn 15:3); that they were qualified to partake of the ordinances of religion, and needed only to be purified from occasional blemishes and impurities (Grotius). Others say that there is not evidence that the Jews bathed before partaking of the paschal supper, but that reference is made to the custom of washing their hands and their face. It is known that this was practised. Mt 15:2. Mk 7:3. Mk 7:4. Peter had requested him to wash his hands and his head. Jesus told him that as that had been done, it was unnecessary to repeat it; but to wash the feet was an act of hospitality, the office of a servant, and that all that was needed now was for him to show this condescension and humility. Probably reference is had here to internal purity, as Jesus was fond of drawing illustrations from every quarter to teach them spiritual doctrine; as if he had said, "You are clean by my word and ministry Jn 15:3; you are my followers, and are prepared for the scene before you. But one thing remains. And as, when we come to this rite, having washed, there remains no need of washing except to wash the feet, so there is now nothing remaining but for me to show you an example that you will always remember, and that shall complete my public instructions to you."

Is clean. This word may apply to the body or the soul.

Every whit. Altogether, wholly.

Ye are clean. Here the word has doubtless reference to the mind and heart.

But not all. You are not all my true followers, and fitted for the ordinance before us.

(i) "For he knew" Jn 6:64

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 He that is washed - That is, he who has been in the bath, as probably all the apostles had lately been, in order to prepare themselves the better for the paschal solemnity; for on that occasion, it was the custom of the Jews to bathe twice. Needeth not save to wash his feet - To cleanse them from any dirt or dust that might have adhered to them, in consequence of walking from the bath to the place of supper. The washing, therefore, of the feet of such persons was all that was necessary, previously to their sitting down to table; The Hindoos walk home from bathing barefoot, and, on entering the house wash their feet again. To this custom our Lord evidently alludes. If these last words of our Lord had any spiritual reference, it is not easy to say what it was. A common opinion is the following: He who is washed - who is justified through the blood of the Lamb, needeth only to wash his feet - to regulate all his affections and desires; and to get, by faith, his conscience cleansed from any fresh guilt, which he may have contracted since his justification. Ye are clean, but not all - Eleven of you are upright and sincere; the twelfth is a traitor. So it appears he had washed the feet of all the twelve; but as no external ablutions can purify a hypocrite or a traitor, therefore Judas still remained unclean.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 13:1-17

Our Lord Jesus has a people in the world that are his own; he has 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 whom Christ loves, he loves to the end. Nothing can separate a true believer from the love of Christ. We know not when our hour will come, therefore what we have to do in constant preparation for it, ought never to…

Read the full comment on John 13:1-17 →

John 13:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΛέγειLegeiSaysG3004
αὐτῷautōto himG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ὁhoThe [one]G3588
λελουμένοςleloumenoshaving bathed himselfG3068
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔχειecheihasG2192
χρείανchreianneedG5532
μὴmēexceptG3361
τοὺςtoustheG3588
πόδαςpodasfeetG4228
νίψασθαι,nipsasthaito wash,G3538
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἔστινestinisG1510
καθαρὸςkatharoscleanG2513
ὅλος·holoswholly;G3650
καὶkaiandG2532
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
καθαροίkatharoicleanG2513
ἐστεesteareG1510
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
οὐχὶouchinotG3780
πάντες.pantesall.G3956

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 13:10

  • John 15:3

    Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:1

    Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17

    Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

  • Numbers 19:19-21

    And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean. And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.

  • Ephesians 5:26-27

    That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

  • Leviticus 17:15-16

    And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean. But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.

  • Numbers 19:12-13

    He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

  • Leviticus 16:26

    And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

  • Numbers 19:7-8

    Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even. And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

  • Romans 7:20-23

    Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

  • Leviticus 16:28

    And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23

    And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
He.
Le 16:26,28; 17:15,16; Nu 19:7,8,12,13,19-21; Heb 9:10; *Gr:
needeth.
Ec 7:20; Mt 6:12; Ro 7:20-23; 2Co 7:1; Eph 4:22-24; 5:26,27
1Th 5:23; Jas 3:2; 1Jo 1:7-10
but.
So 4:7; Jer 50:20; 2Co 5:17,21
ye.
15:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 13:9

    Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

  • John 13:10

    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.

  • John 13:11

    For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

Read all of John 13

John 13:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dícele Jesús: El que está lavado, no necesita sino que lave los pies, mas está todo limpio: y vosotros limpios estáis, aunque no todos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus lui dit: Celui qui a tout le corps lavé n’a besoin que de se laver les pieds; mais il est tout net; et vous, vous êtes nets, mais non pas tous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus spricht zu ihm: Wer gebadet ist, hat nicht nötig sich zu waschen, ausgenommen die Füße, sondern ist ganz rein; und ihr seid rein, aber nicht alle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicit ei Jesus: Qui lotus est, non indiget nisi ut pedes lavet, sed est mundus totus. Et vos mundi estis, sed non omnes.