"to wipe off; to wipe dry, Lk. 7:38, 44; Jn. 11:2; 12:3; 13:5*"
Definition and meaning
to wipe off; to wipe dry, Lk. 7:38, 44; Jn. 11:2; 12:3; 13:5*
In the original Greek the word is written: ἐκμάσσω
Historical context
Luke wrote as a historian addressing a Greek audience. He carefully interviewed eyewitnesses and arranged events in order. The social and economic realities he describes — Roman taxation, Jewish religious hierarchy, the marginalization of women and the poor — are consistent with first-century Judea under Roman administration.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of ekmasso (G1591) across the King James Bible.
And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
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Common questions
Strong's G1591 (ekmasso) is a Greek word that means: to wipe off; to wipe dry, Lk. 7:38, 44; Jn. 11:2; 12:3; 13:5* It appears 5 times in the King James Bible.
The word ekmasso (G1591) appears 5 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1591 is ekmasso, a Greek word defined as: to wipe off; to wipe dry, Lk. 7:38, 44; Jn. 11:2; 12:3; 13:5*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
ekmasso is a Greek word found in the New Testament.