ἐκμάσσω
ekmássō
G1591 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To wipe off or wipe away by rubbing, often with the result of cleaning or drying; in extended use, to remove or erase by rubbing. In specific contexts, indicates the physical action of wiping a surface—commonly of tears, feet, sweat, or other fluids—from an object or person.
Semantic Range
to wipe off, to wipe away, to clean by rubbing, to dry by rubbing, to erase by wiping
Root / Etymology
Derived from the preposition ἐκ (out of, from) and the verb μάσσω (to knead, rub, wipe). The construction suggests intensive or complete action—'to wipe out' or 'to thoroughly wipe.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
First attested in Hellenistic Greek, ἐκμάσσω is a relatively rare verb, with occurrences primarily in medical, domestic, and narrative contexts, including the Septuagint and New Testament (e.g., Luke 7:38, John 11:2, 12:3). Its most notable NT use is the narrative motif of wiping Jesus' feet with hair, underscoring an act of personal devotion and humility; in these cases, the verb stresses the thoroughness and intimacy of the action. The verb does not convey the sense merely of drying but of the complete removal of a substance by wiping. While standard translations often render it as 'wipe' or 'wipe away,' these may not fully indicate the hands-on, deliberate action or the emotional associations in narrative context. Classical parallels (e.g., Hippocratic writings) confirm its overlap with medical terminology for cleansing wounds or skin by rubbing. Distinct from similar verbs like ἀπομασσώ ('wipe off'), which emphasizes removal from a surface, and σπογγίζω ('to wipe with a sponge'), which highlights the instrument rather than the method.
Translation Consistency
‘Wipe’ is the natural, concise English verb that covers the primary physical action (wipe off/wipe away) and extended senses (clean by rubbing, dry by rubbing, erase by rubbing). It matches the attested renderings (wiped/wiping) and will produce idiomatic translations for contexts like wiping tears, feet, sweat, or erasing by rubbing.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐκ and the base of μασσάομαι; to knead out, i.e. (by analogy) to wipe dry:--wipe.
Root Family
μασσ- (ekmássō) — to wipe, to rub, to knead
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3145 | μασσάομαι | they were chewing |
| G631 | ἀπομάσσομαι | we wipe off from ourselves |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1591-04 |
ἐξέμαξεν | exemaxen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
wiped | wiped off | she wiped off | 2 |
G1591-01 |
ἐκμάσσειν | ekmassein | V PRS ACT INF |
to wipe | to be wiping off | to wipe off | 1 |
G1591-02 |
ἐκμάξασα | ekmaxasa | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM F SG |
wiped | having wiped off | having wiped off | 1 |
G1591-03 |
ἐξέμασσεν | exemassen | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
kept wiping | was wiping off | was wiping off | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1591-03 |
Luke 7:38 | ἐξέμασσεν | exemassen | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
kept wiping | was wiping off | was wiping off |
G1591-04 |
Luke 7:44 | ἐξέμαξεν | exemaxen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
wiped | wiped off | she wiped off |
G1591-02 |
John 11:2 | ἐκμάξασα | ekmaxasa | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM F SG |
wiped | having wiped off | having wiped off |
G1591-04 |
John 12:3 | ἐξέμαξεν | exemaxen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
wiped | wiped off | wiped off |
G1591-01 |
John 13:5 | ἐκμάσσειν | ekmassein | V PRS ACT INF |
to wipe | to be wiping off | to wipe off |