John 13:11 (ASV)

Passage

For he knew him that should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

Nearby Context

John 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

John 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

John 13:11 For he knew him that should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

John 13:12 So when he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

John 13:13 Ye call me, Teacher, and, Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knew", "should", "betray", "therefore", "said", and "clean". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knew" and "should", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Jesus saith to him He that is..." into verse 12's "So when he had washed their feet...", so "knew" and "should" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "knew" and "should" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.