γιπτῆρα. Each step in the whole astounding scene is imprinted on the mind of John. ‘Next He pours water into the basin,” the basin which the landlord had furnished as part of the necessary arrangements. [νιπτῆρα is only found here; but ποδανιπτήρ is not so rare; see Plut., Phocion, 20, where ποδονιπτῆρες filled with wine were pro- vided for the guests.)—xat Πρξατο νίπτειν . . . ‘nihil ministerii omittit ” (Grotius). [Plutarch says of Favonius that he did for Pompey ὅσα δεσπότας δοῦλοι μεχρὶ νίψεως ποδῶν.] He“ began” to wash the feet of the disciples; ‘‘ begar.,”
816
- , ἐκεῖνος, “ Κύριε, σύ µου νίπτεις τοὺς πόδας ;”
\ ver. 12
a ” ταυτα.
7. ᾿Απεκρίθη ᾿Ιησοῦς
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, “°O ἐγὼ ποιῶ, σὺ οὐκ οἶδας ἄρτι, γνώσῃ δὲ ' μετὰ δ. Λέγει αὐτῷ Πέτρος, “Od μὴ νίψῃς τοὺς πόδας µου εἰς
~ ’ / ~ A τὸν aidva.” ᾿Απεκρίθη αὐτῷ 6 ᾿Ιησοῦς, “’Edv μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ
mam 5 m Deut. χἰν.'' ἔχεις ™ µέρος per ἐμοῦ. 27. Rev. xx:6;
n Lev. xvi. 4. Acts iX. 37.
o Cp. Winer p. 638.
p Ps. li. 7.
ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ πάντες.
9. Λέγει αὐτῷ Σίμων Πέτρος, “' Κύριε, μὴ τοὺς πόδας µου µόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν. 10. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, ““O " λελουμένος οὗ χρείαν ἔχει °F τοὺς πόδας 1 νίψασθαι, GAN’ ἔστι } καθαρὸς ὅλος: καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε, II. “Hider γὰρ τὸν παραδιδόντα αὐτόν: διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν, '' Οὐχὶ πάντες καθαροί éote.”
«Ν omits η τους ποδας, but these words are found in ABCEGKL.
perhaps because, as Meyer suggests, the washing was interrupted, but this is not certain.—Ver. 6. ἔρχεται οὖν, apparently in the order in which they happened to be sitting, and having first washed some of the other disciples, He comes to Simon Peter, who draws up his feet out of reach and exclaims, Κύριε, σύ µου νίπτεις τοὺς πόδας; The σύ pov are brought together for the sake of the contrast.—Ver. 7. This was a right impulse and honourable to Peter ; and therefore Jesus treats it tenderly. ὃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ . . . μετὰ ταῦτα, ‘“‘what I am doing thou dost not at present comprehend, but thou shalt learn as soon as I am finished”. The pronouns are emphatic, that Peter may understand that Jesus may have much to do which the disciple cannot compre- hend. The first requisite in a disciple or follower is absolute trust in the wisdom of his Master. μετὰ ταῦτα refers to the immediate future; see ver. 12, where the explanation of the action is given. [οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἐρεῖ, Euthymius. ]—Ver. 8. Peter, however, cannot accept the disciple’s attitude, but persists, Ob py γίψῃς µου τοὺς πόδας els τὸν αἰῶνα, ‘never shalt Thou wash my feet”. The εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα was prompted by the μετὰ ταῦτα. No future explanation can make this possible. Peter’s humility is true enough to allow him to see the incongruity of Jesus washing his feet: not deep enough to make him conscious of the incongruity of his thus opposing and dictating to his Master. Το this characteristic utterance Jesus, waiting with the basin, replies, ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε .. . ἐμοὈ. Superficially these words might mean that unless Peter allowed Jesus to wash him, he could not sit at table with Him. But evidently Peter found in them a deeper significance, and
understood them as meaning: Unless I wash you, you are outcast from my fellowship and cease to share in my kingdom and destiny. Here the symbolic significance of the eating together and of the washing begins dimly to appear. That Peter saw that this deeper mean- ing was intended appears from the eager- ness of his answer.—Ver. 9. Κύριε... κεφαλήν. A moment ago he told his Master He was doing too much: now he tells Him He is doing too little. Self- will gives place slowly. Yet this was the unmistakable expression of devotion. If washing is any requirement for fellow- ship with Thee, wash me wholly. [“* Non pedes solum, quos soli ministri vident ; sed manus et caput, quod convivae adspiciunt.” Wetstein.] He is still in error.—Ver. 10. ‘O λελουμένος ... ὅλος. ‘He that has been in the bath has no need to wash save his feet, but is all clean.”” His feet may be soiled by walking from the public bath to the supper chamber, and it is enough that they be washed. ‘‘ Ad convivium vocati solebant prius in balneo lavari; in domo vero convivatoris nonnisi pedes, quibus in via pulvis aut sordes adhaeserant, a servis abluebantur, ne lecti, super quibus accumbebant, macularentur.” Wetstein. He supports the statement by many references. The added clause discloses that a spiritual sense underlies the symbol: ὑμεῖς καθαροί éore, GAN’ οὐχὶ πάντες, “ ye are clean, but notall”. All had been washed : the feet of Judas were as clean as those of Peter. But Judas was not clean.—Ver. 11. That Judas was meant is at once said in ver. II. “Hide. . . éore. Jesus thus shows that He distinguishes between the offence of the rest and the sin of Judas. All that they required was to have the soil of