--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thou shalt never wash my feet." description: "\"Thou shalt never wash my feet.\" — John the Apostle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png" --- # Thou shalt never wash my feet. ![“Thou shalt never wash my feet.” quote by John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png) > “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A symbolic refusal to serve, highlighting humility and personal boundaries. **In simple terms:** Refusing to serve can be meaningful. Key Takeaway Respect personal limits. Themes humility service boundaries Mood reflective serious Type scriptural philosophical When to use this quote - religious rituals - team leadership - family dynamics Key Concepts spiritual discipline personal autonomy social etiquette Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to decline service? - How does humility manifest without self‑degradation? A Different Perspective May conflict with communal expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) ## Related quotes > [“Always wash you feet last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-wash-you-feet-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thou shalt have one God only: who Would be at the expense of two?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/thou-shalt-have-one-god-only-who-would-be-at-the-expense-of-two/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [“thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/thou-shalt-be-a-terror-and-never-shalt-be-any-more/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Thou shalt free thyself from convention, from everyday morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/thou-shalt-free-thyself-from-convention-from-everyday-morality/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“Discover thou shalt/That wherever good is found,/Evil is nearby.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-doescher/discover-thou-shalt-that-wherever-good-is-found-evil-is-nearby/) [Ian Doescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-doescher/) > [Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-shalt-not-stir-one-foot-to-seek-a-foe/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I have ten commandments. The first nine are, thou shalt not bore. The tenth is, thou shalt have right of final cut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/i-have-ten-commandments-the-first-nine-are-thou-shalt-not-bore-the/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [Thou shalt not ration justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thou-shalt-not-ration-justice/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Thou shalt not do to others what is disagreeable to thyself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thou-shalt-not-do-to-others-what-is-disagreeable-to-thyself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thou shalt not let a day pass without rereading something great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vizinczey/thou-shalt-not-let-a-day-pass-without-rereading-something-great/) [Stephen Vizinczey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vizinczey/) > [Loving your neighbour as much as yourself is practically bloody impossible? You might as well have a commandment that states,'Thou shalt fly'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/loving-your-neighbour-as-much-as-yourself-is-practically-bloody/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Thou shalt not offend against the notions of thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/thou-shalt-not-offend-against-the-notions-of-thy-neighbor/) [James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/) > [Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/thou-shalt-not-commit-adultery-thou-shalt-not-kill-thou-shalt-not/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Why has no religion this command before all others: Thou shalt work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berthold-auerbach/why-has-no-religion-this-command-before-all-others-thou-shalt-work/) [Berthold Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berthold-auerbach/) > [Thou shalt not take moochers into thy hut?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/thou-shalt-not-take-moochers-into-thy-hut/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) ## More by John the Apostle > [Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/verily-verily-i-say-unto-you-the-servant-is-not-greater-than-his-lord/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [No murderer has eternal life abiding in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/no-murderer-has-eternal-life-abiding-in-him/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [A long time ago, there were lovers that lived on the opposite ends of a river. They promised to meet when the camellia flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/a-long-time-ago-there-were-lovers-that-lived-on-the-opposite-ends-of/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/and-found-in-the-temple-those-that-sold-oxen-and-sheep-and-doves-and/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [My most treasured possessions are not things; they are only things, my friends, family and animals are what counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/my-most-treasured-possessions-are-not-things-they-are-only-things-my/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [My Peace I leave with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/my-peace-i-leave-with-you/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [“Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/grace-to-you-and-peace-from-him-who-is-and-who-was-and-who-is-to-come/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [So shine on through these days we have to fill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/so-shine-on-through-these-days-we-have-to-fill/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [Destiny is something people invented... because they can't stand the fact that everything that happens is the result of their choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/destiny-is-something-people-invented-because-they-can-t-stand-the/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/he-that-is-without-sin-among-you-let-him-first-cast-a-stone-at-her/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/our-love-should-not-be-just-words-and-talk-it-must-be-true-love-which/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/god-is-love-whoever-lives-in-love-lives-in-god-and-god-in-him/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/the-third-angel-sounded-his-trumpet-and-a-great-star-blazing-like-a/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/master-to-whom-shall-we-go-you-have-the-words-of-eternal-life-we-have/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [If a man say, 'I love God,' and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/if-a-man-say-i-love-god-and-hateth-his-brother-he-is-a-liar-for-he/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) [Explore all 31 John the Apostle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) ## More Feet quotes > [The minute you step onstage, you get eight feet taller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/the-minute-you-step-onstage-you-get-eight-feet-taller/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I always step on the plane with my right foot and touch the outside of the plane with my left hand. Sometimes you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-davis/i-always-step-on-the-plane-with-my-right-foot-and-touch-the-outside/) [Hope Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-davis/) > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [When I was 3, my parents strapped on a pair of Playskool plastic roller skates to my feet, and that's where the story begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-celski/when-i-was-3-my-parents-strapped-on-a-pair-of-playskool-plastic/) [J. R. Celski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-celski/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [“Always wash you feet last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-wash-you-feet-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My husband really loves my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/my-husband-really-loves-my-feet/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Griezmann is an exceptional player. He's brimming with talent, and he knows how to keep his feet on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-matuidi/griezmann-is-an-exceptional-player-he-s-brimming-with-talent-and-he/) [Blaise Matuidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-matuidi/) > [I thought that I had no time for faith nor time to pray, then I saw an armless man saying his Rosary with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/i-thought-that-i-had-no-time-for-faith-nor-time-to-pray-then-i-saw-an/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [I could not prove the Years had feet-/Yet confident they run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/i-could-not-prove-the-years-had-feet-yet-confident-they-run/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) Browse all 6,557 Feet quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thou shalt never wash my feet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John the Apostle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/john-the-apostle-20002_feet_thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet-2430211_2430211.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thou shalt never wash my feet.” — John the Apostle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John the Apostle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thou shalt never wash my feet.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/thou-shalt-never-wash-my-feet/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```