John 13:5

13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. ¹ 

John 19:40

19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, ²  in strips of linen cloth ³  according to Jewish burial customs. ⁴ 

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¹ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

² tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

³ tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.

⁴ tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”