Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
Parallel Translations
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Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
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Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
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Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Genesis 18:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 19:2 and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
- Genesis 24:32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
- Genesis 43:24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.
- Luke 7:44 Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.
- 1 Samuel 25:41 She arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”
- John 13:5-15 Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, “You are not all clean.” So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you.
- 1 Timothy 5:10 being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain For men used because of the great heat to…
For men used because of the great heat to go bare footed in those parts.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you,…
Gen 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
Ver. 4. And wash your feet.] Fouled with going barefoot; as in these parts men used to do, because of the great heat.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain A practice usual in those parts, Gen 19:2; 24:32;…
A practice usual in those parts, Gen 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Joh 13:4-5; 1Ti 5:10, because they used to travel either bare-footed, or only with sandals to cover and secure the bottom of their feet.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,…
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet,.... Which was very refreshing to travellers in hot countries, who walked barefoot or in sandals; and this he proposes to be done by one of his servants, whose business it was, only desires they would give him leave to order it, Sa1 25:41; and so it was usual in other countries, and in later times, for servants to fetch water to wash the hands and feet of guests (l):
and rest yourselves under the tree; before the tent door, under which doubtless were seats to sit down upon, where they might rest their weary limbs; it is very probable this was an oak tree, and which, and a turpentine tree the ancient writers speak of, continued unto the times of Constantine; see Gill on Gen 13:18; and the Jewish writers say (m), that now near the city (Hebron), between the vineyards, are the oaks of Mamre, where is the house of Abraham our father, on whom be peace, and the tree under which the angels ate, and the stone on which he (Abraham) sat when he was circumcised.
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(l) "----- dant manibus famuli lymphas." --Virgil. Aeneid. l. 1. (m) Cippi Hebr. p. 9. Ed. Hottinger.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. Let a little water - be fetched,…
Verse 4. Let a little water - be fetched, and wash your feet, c.] In these verses we find a delightful picture of primitive hospitality. In those ancient times shoes such as ours were not in use and the foot was protected only by sandals or soles, which fastened round the foot with straps. It was therefore a great refreshment in so hot a country to get the feet washed at the end of a day's journey; and this is the first thing that Abraham proposes.
Rest yourselves under the tree] We have already heard of the oak grove of Mamre, Ge 12:6, and this was the second requisite for the refreshment of a weary traveller, viz., rest in the shade.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Wash ye, or let your feet be washed by…
Wash ye, or let your feet be washed by me, or by my servants, laventur. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Wash your feet — Ablutions of all kinds…
4. Wash your feet — Ablutions of all kinds are very common in the East, and considered essential as safeguards against the leprosy. But feet washing was among the most common rites of hospitality. Comp. Gen_19:2; Gen_24:32; Jdg_19:21. The foot was usually protected only by a sandal, and after a journey over the heated roads or fields, the washing of the feet was peculiarly gratifying to the traveller.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. wash your feet] Abraham’s offer of hospitable welcome…
4. wash your feet] Abraham’s offer of hospitable welcome is said to be a faithful representation of the reception of a traveller by an Eastern sheikh. Here we have its various aspects of (1) the courteous greeting; (2) the feet washing; (3) the repast and personal attendance by the host; (4) the escort on the road at departure.
The washing of the feet is necessary for comfort as well as cleanliness in the East where sandals are worn. Cf. Gen_19:2, Gen_24:32, Gen_43:24; Luk_7:44; Joh_13:14.
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rest yourselves under the tree] Abraham invites them to recline in the shade, while the meal is made ready. It does not necessarily indicate the posture at the meal. Judging from 1Sa_9:22; 1Sa_20:5, 1Ki_13:20, a sitting posture was usual among the Israelites. Probably we should understand that, in this scene, as in Gen_27:19, Jdg_19:6, those who ate were seated on the ground, the food being placed in front of them.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) Wash your feet.—This is the first necessity of…
(4) Wash your feet.—This is the first necessity of Oriental hospitality (Jdg_19:21), not merely because the feet, protected only by sandals, are soiled by the dirt of the roads, but because it cools the whole body, and allays the feverishness caused by the heat of travelling. Thus refreshed they are “to rest,” Heb., to lay themselves down, in the shade.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Let a little water, I pray yon, be fetched,…
Let a little water, I pray yon, be fetched, and wash your feet. Feet washing was a necessary part of Oriental hospitality (cf. Gen_19:2 Gen_24:32 Gen_43:24) "Among the ancient Egyptians the basins kept in the houses of the rich for this purpose were sometimes of gold" (Freeman, Bible Manners, "Homiletic Quarterly," vol. 1. p. 78). In India it is considered a necessary part of hospitality to wash the feet and ankles of the weary traveler, and even in Palestine this interesting custom is not extinct. Dr. Robinson and party on arriving at Ramleh repaired to the abode of a wealthy Arab, where the ceremony was performed in the genuine style of ancient Oriental hospitality (vide Kitto"s "Bible Illustrations," vol. 1. p. 230). And rest yourselves (literally, recline by resting on the elbow) under the tree.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.