John 13:4

Revised Standard Version

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

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:

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.

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.

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 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. ⁵ Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" ⁷ Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand." ⁸ Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one 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
To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Genesis 13:2
Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:3
And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

Genesis 13:7
and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Per'izzites dwelt in the land.

Genesis 13:8
Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen.

Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Psalms 26:8
O LORD, I love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwells.

Psalms 84:10
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalms 107:1
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!

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.