FOOT

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).

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