· Translation: KJV

John 13:6Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"

The setting

Jerusalem, ~30 AD. Thursday evening. Upper room. Jesus has just removed His outer garments and wrapped a towel around His waist like a household slave...

The emotion here: shocked and culturally offended

The original word

niptō (νίπτω) — to wash parts of the body, especially feet caked with dust and filth

Why it matters

Only the lowest household slave washed feet - it was considered too degrading for Jewish slaves

Read with care

What most readers miss in John 13:6

Peter uses 'Lord' (Kyrios) - acknowledging Jesus' authority while questioning His actions

Common misconceptionPeople think Peter is being humble here, but he's actually being proud - refusing to let his Master do 'slave work' because it threatens the social order he understands.

Bible Genome reading

John 13:6 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPeter
Eragospel
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability70%
Memorability75%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone60%
Themes:confusionhierarchy

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open John 13

John 13:6 comes from the book of John, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include confusion, hierarchy. Notable phrases: Lord, do you wash my feet.

Your reflection

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