G3538 G3538
To wash a specific body part (hands, feet, face) for cleansing, hospitality, or ritual purification.
Derived from the older form νίζω, this verb specifically denotes washing a part of the body rather than bathing the whole person. In the Gospels it appears in contexts of ritual hand-washing before meals (Matt 15:2; Mark 7:3), Jesus washing the disciples' feet as an act of servant love (John 13:5-14), and the command to the blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam (John 9:7, 11). The Spanish 'lavar' and French 'laver' both preserve the straightforward physical sense, while the Greek consistently distinguishes this partial washing from λούω, which means to bathe the entire body.
Senses
1. wash a body part — Washing a specific body part — hands, feet, or face — whether for everyday hygiene, ceremonial purity, or hospitality. Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet (John 13:5-14) transforms a household custom into a model of humble service, while the Pharisees' insistence on hand-washing before meals (Mark 7:3) reflects ritual purity concerns. Multilingual glosses uniformly point to simple physical washing: Spanish 'lavar,' French 'laver,' German 'waschen.' 17×
AR["أَغْسِلْكَ", "أَنْ-يَغْسِلَ", "اِغتَسَلَ", "اِغسِل", "اِغسِلْ", "تَغْسِلَ", "تَغْسِلُ", "تَغْسِلُوا", "غاسِلًا", "غَسَلتُ", "غَسَلَ", "غَسَلَتْ", "غَسَلْتُ", "يَغْسِلُ", "يَغْسِلُوا", "يَغْسِلُونَ"]·ben["আমি-ধুলাম", "ধুই", "ধুইয়ে-দিচ্ছ", "ধুইয়ে-দেবে", "ধুইলেন", "ধুয়ে", "ধুয়ে-দিলাম", "ধোও", "ধোও,", "ধোয়", "ধোয়-না", "ধোয়াতে", "সে-ধুয়েছে,", "সে-ধুলো"]·DE["waschen", "νίπτονται", "νίψαι"]·EN["I-wash", "I-washed", "having-washed", "he-washed", "she-washed", "they-wash", "to-wash", "wash", "washed", "you-will-wash"]·FR["laver"]·heb["אֶרְחַץ", "יִרְחֲצוּ", "לִרְחֹץ", "רְחַץ", "רָחֲצָה", "רָחַץ", "רָחַצְתִּי", "רוֹחֲצִים", "רוֹחֵץ", "תִּרְחַץ"]·HI["धुलवाने", "धो", "धो-लिया", "धोऊँ", "धोए", "धोएगा", "धोकर", "धोता-है", "धोते", "धोना", "धोने", "धोया", "धोये", "धो।", "नहीं"]·ID["Aku-membasuh", "Engkau-membasuh", "Ia-membasuh", "aku-membasuh", "basuh", "basuhlah", "dibasuh", "membasuh", "mencuci"]·IT["enipsen", "lavare"]·jav["Kula-ngumbah", "Panjenengan-ngumbah", "Panjenenganipun-sampun-ngumbah", "dipunkumbah,", "ngumbah", "raupa", "sampun-ngumbah", "sampun-wisuh,", "sasampunipun-wijik,", "wijik", "wijik,", "wijik.", "wisuh"]·KO["씨고", "씨었다", "씨으라", "씩기기를", "씩기시나이까", "씩기지", "씩었다면", "씩으셔서", "씩을-필요가", "씩지-않는다", "씯었다면,", "씻어라", "씻지"]·PT["a-lavar", "lava", "lava-te", "lavam", "lavar", "lavarem", "lavarás", "lavas", "lavei", "lavei-me", "lavou", "lavou-se", "tendo-me-lavado"]·RU["омоют", "умоешь", "умой", "умойся", "умойся.", "умою", "умываешь", "умывала", "умывать", "умывают", "умывшись,", "умыл", "умылся,", "умыть"]·ES["a-lavar", "habiéndome-lavado", "lava", "lavar", "lavarse", "lavarás", "lavas", "lavo", "lavé", "lavó", "lávate", "me-lavé", "se-lavan", "se-laven", "se-lavó"]·SW["akanawa", "aliosha", "aliwanawa", "hutanawa", "kanawa", "kunawa", "kunawana", "kunawwa", "nikanawa", "nikikuosha", "nikinawa", "nimeiosha", "unanawa", "unawa", "wanawa", "waoshe"]·TR["yıka", "yıkadı", "yıkadım", "yıkamak", "yıkamaya", "yıkamayacaksın", "yıkamazsam", "yıkamışsa", "yıkan", "yıkanarak", "yıkandı", "yıkandım", "yıkarlarsa", "yıkıyorlar", "yıkıyorsun"]·urd["دھلوانے-کی", "دھو", "دھو-کر", "دھوؤں", "دھوئیں", "دھوئے", "دھوئے-گا", "دھوتا-ہے", "دھوتے", "دھونا", "دھویا"]
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
Included with: νίζω, Refs 5th c.BC+; imperative νίζε Refs 8th c.BC+; infinitive νίζειν Refs 8th c.BC+; participle νίζων Refs 8th c.BC+: Epic dialect imperfect νίζον Refs 8th c.BC+:— the present νίπτω, analogically formed from νίψω ἔνιψα, first in NT+5th c.BC+ uses middle νίπτομαι Refs: future νίψω Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist ἔνιψα Refs; Epic dialect νίψα Refs 8th c.BC+:—middle, νίζομαι Refs 5th c.BC+:…