λούω G3068
To wash or bathe the whole body, as distinct from washing only the hands or feet.
This verb denotes a full-body washing or bathing, contrasting with nipto, which refers to washing a specific part like hands or feet. Jesus draws on this distinction in John 13:10: 'The one who has bathed (leloumenos) needs only to wash his feet.' In Acts, the word appears in its straightforward sense — Tabitha's body is washed after death (9:37) and the Philippian jailer washes Paul and Silas's wounds (16:33). Hebrews 10:22 spiritualizes the image: believers approach God 'with bodies washed with pure water.' Second Peter 2:22 uses it of a sow returning to wallowing after being washed.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To wash or bathe the whole body — a thorough cleansing as opposed to a partial washing. The verb appears in both literal and figurative contexts. John 13:10 establishes the key lexical contrast with nipto: one who has been fully bathed (louo) needs only a partial washing. Acts uses it for post-mortem preparation of a body (9:37) and for wound-washing (16:33). Hebrews 10:22 applies it metaphorically to spiritual purification, and 2 Pet 2:22 employs it in a proverb about a washed sow returning to mud. The multilingual evidence (spa: lavados/lavando, fra: laver, deu: gewaschen) uniformly renders it with the standard word for 'wash/bathe.' 5×
AR["اغتَسَلَت", "اغْتَسَلَ", "غَسَلَ", "غَسَلُوا", "مَغْسُولِينَ"]·ben["ধুয়ে", "ধুয়ে-দিল", "ধোয়া", "ধোয়া-হয়ে", "স্নান-করা"]·DE["gewaschen", "λούσαντες", "ἔλουσεν"]·EN["having-bathed", "having-been-washed", "having-washed", "washed"]·FR["laver"]·heb["רְחוּצִים", "רְחוּצָה", "רָחֲצוּ", "רָחַץ", "רָחוּץ"]·HI["धुलकर", "धोए-हुए", "धोया", "नहाकर", "नहाया-हुआ-है"]·ID["dia-membasuh", "dimandikan,", "memandikan", "telah-dimandikan", "telah-mandi"]·IT["lavare", "leloumenos", "lelousmenoi", "lousamenē"]·jav["Ngwisuhi", "ngumbah", "resik-resik,", "sampun-adus", "sampun-kaumbah"]·KO["목욕한-자는", "씬고", "씬어-주었다", "씬어진", "씬은-자가,"]·PT["lavou", "que-está-lavado", "tendo-lavado", "tendo-se-lavado", "tendo-sido-lavados"]·RU["Омывшийся", "омывшаяся", "омывшие", "омыл", "омытые"]·ES["habiéndose-lavado", "lavados", "lavando", "lavó", "se-ha-bañado"]·SW["aliwaosha", "aliyeoga", "aliyeoshwa", "tukioshwa", "wakimwosha"]·TR["yıkadı", "yıkanmış", "yıkanmış-olan", "yıkayanlar"]·urd["دھوئے-ہوئے", "دھویا", "نہائی-ہوئی،", "نہایا-ہوا", "نہلا-کر"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λούω, contraction from λοέω, from which come imperfect λόεον Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist infinitive λοέσσαι Refs; participle λοέσσας Refs 8th c.BC+: future middle λοέσσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+aorist λοέσσατοRefs 8th c.BC+: also Epic dialect imperfect ἐλούεον Refs 5th c.BC+; infinitive λούειν Refs 5th c.BC+: future λούσω Refs 3rd c.BC+; Doric dialect λουσῶ Refs 3rd c.BC+: aorist ἔλουσα Refs 6th c.BC+ (Epic…