HEBREW WORD STUDY – WASH – (ARAMAIC) SHUG – שׁוג
John 13:5: “After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
A teacher, ruler, or master never, ever washed the feet of anyone below them in societal rank. Thus, when Jesus, the master teacher, started to wash the feet of his disciples, this was declaring that the disciples were of a higher rank than their master. That is why Peter refused, initially, to allow Jesus to wash his feet, he felt he had no right to be considered a higher rank than his master. But Jesus was teaching them something, He was showing them that they would become great teachers themselves, but they were never to consider themselves better or of a higher rank than anyone else. Cultural ranking does not exist in the kingdom of God.
The book of John uses an unusual Aramaic word for wash. It is shug. I could not find this word in any extra Biblical literature and of course Biblical sources simply says it means to wash. However, the word is found in the Hebrew but it means to help or encourage growth, like watering a plant will help it to grow. The connection lies in the idea of watering for the purpose of growth. As a Rabbi, Jesus would often make a play on Hebrew words bringing them into the normal conversation in Aramaic. What the disciples should have picked up on was that to grow spiritually, they had to lower themselves. They were never to consider themselves better than others. They should also be willing to wash the feet of those who would one day follow them and look up to them as their leader.