Reference: Washing
American
Various ceremonial washings were enjoined in the Mosaic law, both upon priests, Ex 30:19-21, and upon others, Le 12-15; Heb 9:10. These were significant of spiritual purification through the Savior's blood, Tit 3:5; Re 1:5, as well as of that holiness without which none can see God. To these the Jews added other traditional ablutions, Mr 7:2-4; and regarded it as an act of impiety to neglect them, as Christ frequently did, Lu 11:38. The washing of the hands before and after meals,
Mt 15:2, called for by their custom of feeding themselves with their fingers, is still practiced in Syria. See cut in BED. Where there is a servant in attendance, he pours water from a pitcher over his master's hands, holding also a broad vessel underneath them, 2Ki 3:11; Ps 60:8. See FOOT and SANDALS. "Washing the hands" was a protestation of innocence, De 21:6; Mt 27:24; and has given rise to the proverbial saying common among us, "I wash my hands of that."
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And Aaron and his son washed from it their hands and their feet. In their coming into the tent of appointment, they shall wash with water, and they shall not die: or in their drawing near to the altar to serve, to burn a sacrifice to Jehovah. read more. And they shall wash their hands and their feet, and they shall not die: and it was to them a law forever, to him and to his seed and to their generations.
And all the old men of that city being near to him wounded, shall wash their hands over the heifer having her neck broken in the valley:
And Jehoshaphat will say, Is there not here a prophet to Jehovah, and we will seek Jehovah from him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel will answer and say, Here is Elisha, son of Shaphat, who poured water upon, the hands of Elijah.
Moab the pot of my washing; over Edom I will cast out my shoe: for me, Philistia shouted for joy.
Wherefore do thy disciples pass by the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
And Pilate, seeing that it profits nothing, but there is rather an uproar, having taken water, he washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this just one: ye shall see yourselves.
And having seen some of his disciples with common hands, that is, unwashed, eating loaves, they rebuked. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they vigorously wash hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. read more. And from the market-place, except they be immersed, they eat not. And there are many other things which they received to hold; the immersion of cups, and of measures, and of brazen vases, and of chairs.)
And the Pharisee having seen, wondered that he was not first washed before dinner.
Not of works in justice which we did; but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renovation of the Holy Spirit;
Only in food and drinks, and different immersions, and precepts of the flesh, being placed till the time of amendment.
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the chief of the kings of the earth. To him having loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood,
Easton
(Mr 7:1-9). The Jews, like other Orientals, used their fingers when taking food, and therefore washed their hands before doing so, for the sake of cleanliness. Here the reference is to the ablutions prescribed by tradition, according to which "the disciples ought to have gone down to the side of the lake, washed their hands thoroughly, 'rubbing the fist of one hand in the hollow of the other, then placed the ten finger-tips together, holding the hands up, so that any surplus water might flow down to the elbow, and thence to the ground.'" To neglect to do this had come to be regarded as a great sin, a sin equal to the breach of any of the ten commandments. Moses had commanded washings oft, but always for some definite cause; but the Jews multiplied the legal observance till they formed a large body of precepts. To such precepts about ceremonial washing Mark here refers. (See Ablution.)
Illustration: Washing the Hands
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And the Pharisees are gathered together to him, and certain of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, And having seen some of his disciples with common hands, that is, unwashed, eating loaves, they rebuked. read more. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they vigorously wash hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And from the market-place, except they be immersed, they eat not. And there are many other things which they received to hold; the immersion of cups, and of measures, and of brazen vases, and of chairs.) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Wherefore do not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? And he having answered, said to them, That Esaias prophesied well concerning you, as it has been written, This people honour me with lips, and their heart keeps far from me. And in vain they revere me, teaching doctrines the commands of men. For having left the command of God, ye hold firmly to the tradition of men, the immersion of measures and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said to them, Well do ye abrogate the command of God, that ye might keep your tradition.
Fausets
The high priest's whole body was washed at his consecration (Ex 29:4; Le 16:4); also on the day of atonement. The priests' hands and feet alone were washed in the daily tabernacle ministrations (Ex 30:18-20). So Christians are once for all wholly "bathed" (leloumenoi) in regeneration which is their consecration; and daily wash away their soils of hand and foot contracted in walking through this defiling world (Joh 13:10, Greek "he that has been bathed needs not save to wash (nipsasthai) his feet, but is clean all over": 2Co 7:1; Heb 10:22-23; Eph 5:26). The clothes of him who led away the scape-goat, and of the priest who offered the red heifer, were washed (Le 16:26; Nu 19:7).
The Pharisaic washings of hands before eating, and of the whole body after being in the market (Mr 7:2-4), turned attention off from the spirit of the law, which aimed at teaching inward purity, to a mere outward purification. In the sultry and dusty East water for the feet was provided for the guests (Lu 7:44; Ge 18:4). The Lord Jesus by washing His disciples' feet taught our need of His cleansing, and His great humility whereby that cleansing was effected (compare 1Sa 25:41; 1Ti 5:10). The sandals, without stockings, could not keep out dust from the feet; hence washing them was usual before either dining or sleeping (Song 5:3). Again, the usage of thrusting the hand into a common dish rendered cleansing of the hand indispensable before eating. It was only when perverted into a self righteous ritual that our Lord protested against it (Mt 15:2; Lu 11:38).
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Now he shall take a little water, and will wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring near to the door of the tent of the appointment, and wash them in water.
Make a brass wash-basin, and its pedestal brass, for washing: and give it between the tent of appointment and between the altar, and give water there. And Aaron and his son washed from it their hands and their feet. read more. In their coming into the tent of appointment, they shall wash with water, and they shall not die: or in their drawing near to the altar to serve, to burn a sacrifice to Jehovah.
The holy linen tunic shall be put on, and the linen drawers shall be upon his flesh, and with a linen girdle shall he be girded, and with a linen turban shall he be wound round: these the holy garments; and he washed his flesh in water and put them on.
And he sending away the goat set apart, shall wash his garments and wash his flesh in water, and after this he shall go in to the camp.
And the priest washed his garments, and bathed his flesh in water, and afterward he shall go into the camp; and the priest was unclean till evening.
And she will rise and worship with the face to the earth, and say, Behold, thy servant for a servant to wash the feet of my lord's servants.
I put off my tunic, and how shall I put it on? I washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Wherefore do thy disciples pass by the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
And having seen some of his disciples with common hands, that is, unwashed, eating loaves, they rebuked. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they vigorously wash hands, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. read more. And from the market-place, except they be immersed, they eat not. And there are many other things which they received to hold; the immersion of cups, and of measures, and of brazen vases, and of chairs.)
And having turned to the woman, he said to Simon, Thou seest this woman? I came into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: and she wet my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
And the Pharisee having seen, wondered that he was not first washed before dinner.
Jesus says to him, He washed has no need but to have the feet washed, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all.
Therefore having these declarations, dearly let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
That he might consecrate it, having cleansed by the washing of water in the word,
Let us approach with a true heart in complete certainty of faith, having our hearts besprinkled from an evil consciousness, and having our bodies washed with pure water. We should hold the assent of hope not bending; (for faithful he having promised;)
Morish
A requirement of frequent literal recurrence under the law, but in the N.T. a term bearing commonly a moral force and application. Important truth may be learned from the different significations of the Greek words used for 'washing' in John 13. The word in Joh 13:10 is ????, 'to cleanse, wash thoroughly.' One who is cleansed in this sense never needs to be thus washed again; he is, as the Lord said, 'clean every whit,' yet in order to have 'part with' Christ, he needs, because of the defilement of the way, that his feet should be washed (here the word is ?????), Joh 13:5-14, an action which is applied to parts of the body only. The same difference was typified in the cleansing of Aaron and his sons. They were at their consecration once 'washed' by Moses, but were thenceforward required continually, when executing their service, to wash only their hands and feet in the laver. Ex 40:12,30-32.
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And bring near Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of appointment and wash them in water.
And he will put up the washbasin between the tent of appointment and between the altar, and he will give there water to wash. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed from it their hands and their feet: read more. In their going into the tent of appointment, and in their drawing near to the altar, they will wash; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
Then casts he water into a washing vessel, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe with the linen cloth with which he was girded. And he comes to Simon Peter: and he says to him, Lord, washest thou my feet? read more. Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know after these. Peter says to him, Thou shouldest never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Except I wash thee, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter says to him, Lord, not my feet only, but the hands and head. Jesus says to him, He washed has no need but to have the feet washed, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all.
Jesus says to him, He washed has no need but to have the feet washed, but is wholly clean: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew him delivering him up, therefore he said, Ye are not all clean. read more. When therefore he washed their feet; and took his garments, going to recline again, he said to them, Knew ye what I have done to you? Ye call one Teacher and Lord: and ye say well; for I am. If therefore, I washed your feet, the Lord and Teacher; ye also ought to wash the feet of one another: