3068. louó

Lexicon

louó: To wash, bathe

Original Word: λούω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: louó
Pronunciation: loo'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (loo'-o)
Definition: To wash, bathe
Meaning: (lit. or merely ceremonially), I wash, bathe (the body); mid: of washing, bathing one's self; met: I cleanse from sin.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

wash.

A primary verb; to bathe (the whole person; whereas nipto means to wet a part only, and pluno to wash, cleanse garments exclusively) -- wash.

see GREEK nipto

see GREEK pluno

HELPS Word-studies

3068 loúō – properly, to wash (cleanse), especially the entire person (bathing the whole body). 3068 /loúō (and its derivative, 628 /apoloúō) implies "fully-washing" (literally and metaphorically) – i.e. a complete bathing to cleanse the entire person (body).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to bathe, to wash
NASB Translation
bathed (1), washed (3), washing (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3068: λούω

λούω: 1 aorist ἔλουσά; perfect passive participle λελουμένος and (in Hebrews 10:23 T WH) λελουσμενος, a later Greek form (cf. Lobeck on Sophocles Aj., p. 324; Stephanus Thesaurus 5:397 c.; cf. Kühner, § 343, under the word; (Veitch, under the word, who cites Song of Solomon 5:12, Vat.)); 1 aorist middle participle λουσαμενος; from Homer down; the Sept. for רָחַץ; to bathe, wash: properly, τινα, a dead person, Acts 9:37; τινα ἀπό τῶν πληγῶν, by washing to cleanse from the blood of the wounds, Acts 16:33 (Winers Grammar, 372 (348), cf. § 30, 6 a.; Buttmann, 322 (277)); ὁ λελουμένος, absolutely, he that has bathed, John 13:10 (on the meaning of the passage see καθαρός, a. (and cf. Synonyms below)); λελουσμένοι τό σῶμα, with the dative of instrumentality, ὕδατι, Hebrews 10:22 (23); middle to wash oneself (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 38, 2 a.): 2 Peter 2:22; tropically, Christ is described as ὁ λουσας ἡμᾶς ἀπό τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, i. e. who by suffering the bloody death of a vicarious sacrifice cleansed us from the guilt of our sins, Revelation 1:5 R G (others, λύσας (which see 2 at the end). Compare: ἀπολούω.) [SYNONYMS: λούω, νίπτω, πλύνω: πλύνω is used of things, especially garments; λούω and νίπτω of persons — νίπτω of a part of the body (hands, feet, face, eyes), λούω of the whole. All three words occur in Leviticus 15:11. Cf. Trench, N. T. Synonyms, § xlv.]

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primary verb

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H7364 רָחַץ (rachats): To wash, bathe
• H3526 כָּבַס (kabas): To wash, cleanse, full (as in washing clothes)

These Hebrew terms similarly convey the concept of washing or cleansing, both in a literal and ceremonial sense, and are often used in the Old Testament to describe purification rituals.

Usage: The verb λούω is used in the New Testament to describe the act of washing or bathing, often in a ceremonial or ritualistic context. It can refer to the physical act of washing the body or parts of the body, as well as a metaphorical cleansing.

Context: The Greek verb λούω appears in several New Testament passages, emphasizing both physical and spiritual cleansing. In John 13:10, Jesus uses the term to explain the necessity of spiritual purity, saying, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." Here, λούω is contrasted with νίπτω (niptō), which refers to washing a part of the body, such as the feet, highlighting the completeness of the cleansing associated with λούω.

In Acts 16:33, the term is used in a literal sense when the Philippian jailer washes the wounds of Paul and Silas: "At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized." This passage illustrates the physical act of washing as a precursor to the spiritual act of baptism.

Hebrews 10:22 employs λούω metaphorically to describe the spiritual cleansing believers receive through faith: "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." This verse connects the physical act of washing with the inner purification of the believer.

The use of λούω in the New Testament underscores the importance of both physical and spiritual cleanliness, often serving as a symbol of the believer's sanctification and purification through Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

ελούου έλουσά ελούσαντο ελούσατο ελουσεν έλουσεν ἔλουσεν ελούσθης λελουμένοι λελουμενος λελουμένος λελουσμέναι λελουσμενοι λελουσμένοι λουομένην λούσαι λουσαμενη λουσαμένη λουσαντες λούσαντες λούσαντι λούσασθαι λούσασθε λούσεις λούσεται λούση λούσηται λούσομαι λούσονται λούσω λοφίαν λοφίας λοχευομένων λοχεύονται elousen élousen leloumenos lelouménos lelousmenoi lelousménoi lousamene lousamenē lousaméne lousaménē lousantes loúsantes

Englishman's Concordance

John 13:10 V-RPM/P-NMS
GRK: Ἰησοῦς Ὁ λελουμένος οὐκ ἔχει
NAS: said to him, He who has bathed needs
KJV: to him, He that is washed needeth
INT: Jesus the [one who] has been bathed not has [other]

Acts 9:37 V-APA-NMP
GRK: αὐτὴν ἀποθανεῖν λούσαντες δὲ ἔθηκαν
NAS: and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid
KJV: they had washed, they laid
INT: she died having washed [her] moreover put [her]

Acts 16:33 V-AIA-3S
GRK: τῆς νυκτὸς ἔλουσεν ἀπὸ τῶν
NAS: of the night and washed their wounds,
KJV: of the night, and washed [their] stripes;
INT: of the night he washed [them] from the

Hebrews 10:22 V-RPM/P-NMP
GRK: πονηρᾶς καὶ λελουσμένοι τὸ σῶμα
NAS: and our bodies washed with pure
KJV: and our bodies washed with pure water.
INT: evil and having been washed [as to] the body

2 Peter 2:22 V-APM-NFS
GRK: καί Ὗς λουσαμένη εἰς κυλισμὸν
NAS: and, A sow, after washing, [returns] to wallowing
KJV: the sow that was washed to
INT: and [The] sow having washed to [her] rolling place

Strong's Greek 3068
5 Occurrences

ἔλουσεν — 1 Occ.
λελουμένος — 1 Occ.
λελουσμένοι — 1 Occ.
λουσαμένη — 1 Occ.
λούσαντες — 1 Occ.