FOOT
Due to the dust on the road, and how bare their feet were, without socks or stockings, it was necessary to wash their feet very frequently.
Upon arrival at a house, the owner of the house, or a servant, washed the visitor’s feet; At a minimum, water had to be presented to be able to wash (Gen. 18:4; Luke 7:44).
Thus, washing the feet became an expression denoting the act of showing hospitality (1 Tim. 5:10). The provision of this service voluntarily denoted great devotion; Jesus gave a great lesson in humility by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13: 4-15).
To indicate a very humble job, the expression “loose the straps of the sandals” was used (Mk. 1:7; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:27).
To express condemnation and separation, the dust of the city was shaken off one’s feet in a public manner (Matt. 10:14; Acts 13:51).
To express God’s care for his people during the wilderness wandering, Moses tells them: “Your clothing has never grown old on you, nor has your foot swelled these forty years” (Deut. 8:4; cf. 29:5).
As an expression of dominance, the foot was placed on the neck of the defeated (Josh. 10:24, etc.).
There are numerous expressions used in the Bible with the term “foot”:
“Covering one’s feet” is used euphemistically for “relieving oneself” (1 Sam. 24:3).
“Speaking with the feet” denotes the great gesticulation with which the Easterners speak, and with which they give their words additional emphasis and nuance (Prov. 5:13).
“sitting at the feet,” to denote a disciple receiving teaching, (Deut. 33:3; lit. Hebrew: Luke 10:39; Acts 22:3).
There are frequent references to the feet in terms of God leading His own (cf. Ps. 91:12, which also has messianic application; Ps. 121:3).
Reference is made to the moral walk in relationship with God and others (Ps. 73:2; Jb. 23:11; 31:5).
Applied to those who bring pleasant news, “the feet” are a synonym for “the arrival” (cf. Is. 52:7).