Foot -■washing. The custom of washing the feet held, in ancient times, a place among the duties of hos])itality, being regarded as a mark of respect to the guest, and a token of humble and affectionate at- tention on the part of the entertainer. It had its ori- gin in circumstances for the most part peculiar to the East. In general, in warm Oriental climes, cleanli- ness is of the highest consequence, particularly as a eafegnard ngajnst the leprosy. The East knows noth- ing of the factitious distinctions which prevail among us between sanitary regulations and religious duties ; but the one, as much as the other, are considered a part of that great system of obligations under which man lies towards God. What, therefore, the health de- mands, religion is at hand to sanction. Cleanliness is, in consequence, not next to godliness, but a part of godliness itself. As in this Oriental view ma\' be found the origin and reason of much of what the Mo- saic law lays down touching clean and unclean, so the practice of feet-washing in particular, wliich consider- ations of purity and personal propriety recommended,
hospitalit)' adopted and religion sanctioned. In tem. perate climes bathing is far too much neglected ; but in the East the heat of the atmosphere and the dryness of the soil would render the ablution of the body pe- culiarly desirable, and make feet-washing no less grate- ful than salutary to the weary traveller. The foot, too, was less protected than with us. In the earliest ages it probably had no covering, and the sandal worn in later times was little else than the sole of our shoe bound under the foot. Even this defence, however, was ordinarily laid aside en entering a house, in which the inmates were either b;.;efoot or wore nothing but slippers. See Shoe.
The washing of the feet is rmong the most ancient,, as well as the most obligator;- of the rites of Eastern hospitality. From Gen. xviii, 4 ; xix, 2, it appears to have existed as earlv as the daj's of the patriarch Aliraham. In Gen. xxiv, 32, also, "Abraham's serv- ant" is provided with water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. The stme custom is mentioned in Judg. xix, 21. From 1 Sam. xxv, 41, it appears that the rite was sometimes performed \.y serv- ants and sons, as their appropriate duty, regarded as of an humble character, llence, in addition to its be- ing a token of affectionate regard, it was a sign of hu- mility. Vessels of no great value appear to have been ordinarily kept and appropriated to the purpose. These vessels would gain nothing in estimation from the low- ly, if not mean office for which they were enijiloyed. Hence, probably, the explanation of Psa. Ix, 8, " Moab is my wash-pot." Slaves, moreover, were commonly employed in washing the feet of guests. The passage, then, in etfect, declares the Moabites to be the meanest of God's instruments. See Wash-pot.
The most remarkable instance of this custcm is found in the 13th chapter of John's Gospel, where our Saviour is represented as washing the feet of his disci- ples, with whom he had taken supper. Minute par- ticulars are given in the sacred narrative, which should be carel'ullj' studied, as presenting a true Oriental pic- ture. From ver. 12 sq., it is clear that the act was of a symbolical nature, designed to teach, It fortiori, broth- eil}' humility and good-will. If the master had per- formed for his scholars an act at once so lowlj^ yet so needful, how much more were the disciples themselves bound to consider anj^ Christian service whatever as a dutj' which each was to perform for the other. The principle involved in the particular act is, that love dignifies anj' service ; that all high and proud thoughts are no less unchristian than selfish ; and that the sole ground of honor in the Church of Christ is meek, gen- tle, and self-forgetting benevolence. It was specially customar}- in the days of our Lord to wash before eat- ing (Matt. XV, 2; Luke xi, £8). This was also the practice with the ancient Greeks, as ma}' be seen in Iliad, X, 577. From Martial (Ejnr/. iii, 50, 3, " Depo- sui soleas''), we see it was usual to lay aside the shoes, lest they should soil the linen. The usage is still found among the Orientals (Niebuhr, i, 54 ; Shaw, p. 202). But Jesus did not pay a scrupulous regard to the ]iractice, and hence drew blame upon himself from the Pharisees (Luke xi, 38). In this our Lord was probably influenced by the superstitious abuses and foolish misinterpretations connected with washing be- fore meat. For the same reason he may purposelj' have postponed the act of washing his discijJes' feet till after supper, lest, while he was teaching a new les- son of humility, he might add .a sanction to current and baneful errors. See Abi.i;tion. The union of affec- tionate attention and lowly service is found indicated, by feet-washing in 1 Tim. v, 10, where, among the signs of the widows that were to be honored — supjiorted, that is, at the expense of the Church — this is given, if any one " have washed the saints' feet." — Kitto, s. v. Wash- ing. See Washing of Hands and Fket.