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12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am.(A) 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.(B) 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.(C) 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers[a] greater than the one who sent them.(D) 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

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Footnotes

  1. 13.16 Or apostles

12 So when Jesus[a] had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table[b] again and said to them, “Do you understand[c] what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,[d] for that is what I am.[e] 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example[f]—you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth,[g] the slave[h] is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger[i] greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand[j] these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

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Footnotes

  1. John 13:12 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. John 13:12 tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
  3. John 13:12 tn Grk “Do you know.”
  4. John 13:13 tn Or “rightly.”
  5. John 13:13 tn Grk “and I am these things.”
  6. John 13:15 sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).
  7. John 13:16 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  8. John 13:16 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  9. John 13:16 tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).
  10. John 13:17 tn Grk “If you know.”