John 13:4

Easy-to-Read Version

So while they were eating, Jesus stood up and took off his robe. He got a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself.

King James Version (1611)
He riseth from supper, and layed aside his garments, and tooke a towell, and girded himselfe.

King James Version
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

English Standard Version
rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

New American Standard Bible
got up from supper and laid His outer garments aside; and He took a towel and tied it around Himself.

New Century Version
So during the meal Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist.

Amplified Bible
got up from supper, took off His [outer] robe, and taking a [servant's] towel, He tied it around His waist.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

Legacy Standard Bible
*got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He tied it around Himself.

Berean Standard Bible
So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

Contemporary English Version
So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Complete Jewish Bible
So he rose from the table, removed his outer garments and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Darby Translation
rises from supper and lays aside his garments, and having taken a linen towel he girded himself:

Geneva Bible (1587)
He riseth from supper, and layeth aside his vpper garments, and tooke a towel, and girded himselfe.

George Lamsa Translation
He rose from supper and laid aside his robes; and he took an apron and tied it around his loins.

Good News Translation
So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist.

Lexham English Bible
he got up from the dinner and took off his outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it around himself.

Literal Translation
He rose up from the supper and laid aside His garments. And taking a towel, He girded Himself.

American Standard Version
riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself.

Bible in Basic English
Got up from table, put off his robe and took a cloth and put it round him.

Hebrew Names Version
arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

International Standard Version
got up from the table, removed his outer robe, and took a towel and fastened it around his waist.Luke 22:27; Philippians 2:7-8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
riseth from supper, and setteth his garments apart, and took a towel, (and) bound (it) upon his loins;

Murdock Translation
arose from the supper, and laid aside his long garments, and took a linen cloth, and wrapped it about his loins;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He rose from supper, and layde asyde his vpper garmentes: And when he had taken a towel, he gyrded hym selfe.

English Revised Version
riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself.

World English Bible
arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a towel, girded himself.

Weymouth's New Testament
rose from the table, threw off His upper garments, and took a towel and tied it round Him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and goith to God, he risith fro the souper, and doith of hise clothis; and whanne he hadde takun a lynun cloth, he girde hym.

Update Bible Version
rises from supper, and lays aside his garments; and he took a towel, and girded himself.

Webster's Bible Translation
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

New English Translation
he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself.

New King James Version
rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

New Living Translation
So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist,

New Life Bible
Jesus got up from the supper and took off His coat. He picked up a cloth and put it around Him.

New Revised Standard
got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
rouseth himself out of the supper, and layeth aside his garments, and taking a linen cloth, girded himself.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He riseth from supper and layeth aside his garments and, having taken a towel, girded himself.

Revised Standard Version
rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
he rose from supper and layde a syde his vpper garmentes and toke a towell and gyrd him selfe.

Young's Literal Translation
doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
he rose from supper, and layed asyde his vpper garmentes, and toke a towell, and gyrde it aboute him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
rose from supper, laid aside his garment, and took a towel to wrap about him.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus got up from the table, took off his clothes, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Contextual Overview

¹ It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. Jesus had always loved the people in the world who were his. Now was the time he showed them his love the most. ² Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot to hand Jesus over to his enemies. (Judas was the son of Simon.) ³ The Father had given Jesus power over everything. Jesus knew this. He also knew that he had come from God. And he knew that he was going back to God. ⁴ So while they were eating, Jesus stood up and took off his robe. He got a towel and wrapped it around his waist. ⁵ Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers' feet. He dried their feet with the towel that was wrapped around his waist. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter. But Peter said to him, "Lord, you should not wash my feet." ⁷ Jesus answered, "You don't know what I am doing now. But later you will understand." ⁸ Peter said, "No! You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "If I don't wash your feet, you are not one of my people." ⁹ Simon Peter said, "Lord, after you wash my feet, wash my hands and my head too!" ¹⁰ Jesus said, "After a person has a bath, his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you are clean, but not all of you."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

laid aside: That is, his gown, or upper coat, ילבפיב, with the girdle by which it was girdled close to his tunic, or inner coat; and instead of his girdle, he tied a towel about him, that he might have it in readiness to dry their feet,and that he might appear as a servant. Indeed the whole action was a servile one; and never performed by a superior to an inferior. Luke 12:37, Luke 17:7, Luke 22:27, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Philippians 2:6-8

Reciprocal: Genesis 24:32 - wash Genesis 43:24 - General Judges 19:21 - they washed 2 Kings 3:11 - poured water Matthew 20:28 - came Luke 7:38 - wash John 13:2 - supper

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord .

Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt. He traveled through the Negev with his wife and everything he owned. Lot was also with them.

Genesis 13:2
At this time Abram was very rich. He had many animals and much silver and gold.

Genesis 13:3
Abram continued traveling around. He left the Negev and went back to Bethel. He went to the place between the city of Bethel and Ai, where he and his family had camped before.

Genesis 13:7
(The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in this land at the same time.) The shepherds of Abram and Lot began to argue.

Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, "There should be no arguing between you and me or between your people and my people. We are all brothers.

Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the big trees of Mamre. This was near the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord .

Psalms 26:8
Lord , I love the house where you live, the place where your glory is.

Psalms 84:10
One day in your Temple is better than a thousand days anywhere else. Serving as a guard at the gate of my God's house is better than living in the homes of the wicked.

Psalms 107:1
Praise the Lord , because he is good! His faithful love will last forever!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He riseth from supper,.... In the midst of the entertainment, and which no doubt was considerable, his mind being intent on something else; and it being his meat and drink to do his Father's will, he rises and leaves his disciples sitting to finish their meal; and whilst they were murmuring at the waste of the ointment poured on his head, and were filled with indignation at it, as they all of them were, see Matthew 26:8; he rises up to wash their feet; amazing patience and humility!

And laid aside his garments; not all his garments, only his upper ones, that he might better dispatch the business he was going about; and which was an emblem of his laying aside, as it were for a while, his glory and dignity as the Son of God, and of his appearing in the form of a servant.

And took a towel; or "linen cloth", λεντιον, the same with

לונטית in the Jerusalem Talmud r:

and girded himself; with the towel, or linen cloth, which served both for a girdle, and after he had washed his disciples' feet, to wipe them with. This was a servile habit; so servants used to stand at the feet of their masters, girt about with a linen cloth s; and shows, that the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.

r Sabbat, fol. 3. 1. & 12. 1. s Suetonius in Caligula, c. 26.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He riseth from supper - Evidently while they were eating. See John 13:2.

Laid aside his garments - His outer garment. See the notes at Matthew 5:40. This was his mantle or robe, which is said to have been without seam. It was customary to lay this aside when they worked or ran, or in the heat of summer.

Took a towel and girded himself - This was the manner of a servant or slave. See the notes at Luke 17:8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 13:4. He riseth from supper — Not from eating, as Bishop Pearce has well observed, but from his place at table; probably the dishes were not as yet laid down, though the guests were seated. According to the custom of the Jews and other Asiatics, this washing must have taken place before the supper. John 13:2.

Laid aside his garments — That is, his gown or upper coat, with the girdle wherewith it was girded close to his tunic or under coat; and, instead of this girdle, he tied a towel about him:

1. that he might appear in the character of a servant; and

2. that he might have it in readiness to dry their feet after he had washed them.