John 13:5
Context13:5 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
Context19:40 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
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.”