νίπτωníptō
to cleanse (especially the hands or the feet or the face); ceremonially, to perform ablution
Greek (New Testament) · G3538
Meanings
to wash, usually of a part of the body: with accusative of person, John 13:8; τ. πόδας, John 13:5, John 13:6, John 13:8, John 13:12, John 13:14, 1 Timothy 5:10; middle, reflexive, to wash oneself: John 9:7, John 9:11, John 9:15; τ. χεῖρας, Matthew 15:2, Mark 7:3; τ. πόδας, John 13:10; τ. πρόσωπον, Matthew 6:17 (in classical Greek Att. prose, used only in compounds; cf. ἀπο-νίπτω).
Synonyms
λούω (see that word), πλύνω.
Same root
Where it appears
Appears 17 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 6:17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.
- Matthew 15:2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
- Mark 7:3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.
- John 9:7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
- John 9:11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
- John 9:15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.