The Meaning of John 13:12 Explained

John 13:12

KJV: So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

YLT: When, therefore, he washed their feet, and took his garments, having reclined (at meat) again, he said to them, 'Do ye know what I have done to you?

Darby: When therefore he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, having sat down again, he said to them, Do ye know what I have done to you?

ASV: So when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So  after  he had washed  their  feet,  and  had taken  his  garments,  and was set down  again,  he said  unto them,  Know ye  what  I have done  to you? 

What does John 13:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus now returned to His role as the disciples" teacher, which His change of clothing and physical position indicated. He began to explain the significance of what He had done, though full comprehension would come to the disciples later ( John 13:7). His question prepared them for the lesson that followed.

Context Summary

John 13:12-20 - The Master's Example
Notwithstanding His great humility, Jesus expects to be regarded as Master and Lord; do we so call and treat Him? We must be as willing to obey Him as a soldier to obey his commanding officers, even when the order conflicts with his comfort, convenience, or safety. We must also do for each other, in our poor measure, what He has done for us, taking on us the form and work of a slave, that we may remove from each other any stain that may have been contracted. It is only when we have stooped to the simplest and lowest humility that we are able to lift our brethren to a purer and nobler life. Let us watch over each other's souls, as those who must give an account.
What sorrow must have constantly weighed on our Savior's heart in knowing that all His love and care would be resisted by Judas, as the rock in a flower garden refuses to respond to the genial influences of spring! To lift up the heel, that is to kick is emblematic of brutal malice. This treachery, foreseen by Christ, was transformed into a support of the disciples' faith. When the incident took place, as predicted, they knew that Jesus was all that He had declared Himself to be. [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 13:12

Sat down again [ανεπεσεν παλιν]
Second aorist active indicative of αναπιπτω — anapiptō old compound verb to fall back, to lie down, to recline. Παλιν — Palin (again) can be taken either with ανεπεσεν — anepesen as here, or with ειπεν — eipen (he said again). Know ye what I have done to you? “Do ye understand the meaning of my act?” Perfect active indicative of ποιεω — poieō with dative case It was a searching question, particularly to Simon Peter and Judas. [source]
Was set down [ἀναπεσὼν]
Literally, having reclined. The guests reclined on couches, lying on the left side and leaning on the left hand. The table was in the hollow square or oblong formed on three sides by the couches, the fourth side being open, and the table extending beyond the ends of the couches. [source]
Know ye [γινώσκετε]
Perceive or understand ye? [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 13:12

John 13:25 Lying [ἐπιπεσὼν]
This word is, literally, to fall upon, and is so rendered in almost every instance in the New Testament. In Mark 3:10, it is applied to the multitudes pressing upon Christ. It occurs, however, nowhere else in John, and therefore some of the best authorities read ἀναπεσὼν , leaning back, a verb which John uses several times in the Gospel, as in John 13:12. So Rev. Whichever of the two is read, it points out the distinction, which the A.V. misses by the translation lying, between ἦν ἀνακείμενος (John 13:23), which describes the reclining position of John throughout the meal, and the sudden change of posture pictured by ἀναπεσὼν , leaning back. The distinction is enforced by the different preposition in each case: reclining in ( ἐν ) Jesus' bosom, and leaning back ( ἀνά ). Again, the words bosom and breast represent different words in the Greek; κόλπος representing more generally the bend formed by the front part of the reclining person, the lap, and στῆθος the breast proper. The verb ἀναπίπτω , to lean back, always in the New Testament describes a change of position. It is used of a rower bending back for a fresh stroke. Plato, in the well-known passage of the “Phaedrus,” in which the soul is described under the figure of two horses and a charioteer, says that when the charioteer beholds the vision of love he is afraid, and falls backward ( ἀνέπεσεν ), so that he brings the steeds upon their haunches. [source]
John 13:2 Supper being ended [δείπνου γενομένου]
The most approved reading is γινομένου , the present participle, denoting while a supper was in progress. Hence Rev., rightly, during supper. The A.V. is wrong, even if the reading of the Received Text be retained; for in John 13:12Jesus reclined again, and in John 13:26, the supper is still in progress. It should be, supper having begun, or having been served. It is important to note the absence of the definite article: a supper, as distinguished from the feast, which also is designated by a different word. [source]
John 10:11 Giveth his life [τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν]
The phrase is peculiar to John, occurring in the Gospel and First Epistle. It is explained in two ways: either (1) as laying down as a pledge, paying as a price, according to the classical usage of the word τίθημι . So Demosthenes, to pay interest or the alien tax. Or (2) according to John 13:4, as laying aside his life like a garment. The latter seems preferable. Τίθημι , in the sense of to pay down a price, does not occur in the New Testament, unless this phrase, to lay down the life, be so explained. In John 13:4, layeth aside His garments ( τίδησι τὰ ἱμάτια ) is followed, in John 13:12, by had taken His garments ( ἔλαβε τὰ ἱμάτια ). So, in this chapter, giveth ( τίδησιν ) His life (John 10:11), and I lay down ( τίδημι ) my life (John 10:17, John 10:18), are followed by λαβεῖν “to take it again.” The phrases τὴν ψυχὴν Helaid down His life, and τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι tolay down our lives, occur in 1 John 3:16. The verb is used in the sense of laying aside in the classics, as to lay aside war, shields, etc. Compare Matthew 20:28, δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν , to give His life. [source]

What do the individual words in John 13:12 mean?

When therefore He had washed the feet of them and taken the garments of Him having reclined again He said to them Do you know what I have done to you
Ὅτε οὖν ἔνιψεν τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἀνέπεσεν πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Γινώσκετε τί πεποίηκα ὑμῖν

ἔνιψεν  He  had  washed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: νίπτω  
Sense: to wash.
πόδας  feet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἔλαβεν  taken 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
ἱμάτια  garments 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἱμάτιον  
Sense: a garment (of any sort).
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἀνέπεσεν  having  reclined 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναπίπτω  
Sense: to lie back, lie down.
πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Γινώσκετε  Do  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
πεποίηκα  I  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.

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