wash hands in innocence

The now commonly-used German expression Hände in Unschuld waschen, which today is used by someone who wants to express that they have nothing to do with something negative (literally “wash hands in innocence”), was first coined in 1534 in the German Bible translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 74)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

See also I wash my hands in innocence (image) and Pilate saw that he could do nothing and he took some water and washed his hands (image).

complete verse (Psalm 73:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 73:13:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Surely I have kept my heart pure in vain;
    in vain I have washed my hands in my innocence.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “If so, is it in vain that I have kept my heart pure?
    Even though I have lived without doing evil deeds, is it in vain?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “So my living clean and without sin has- no -value?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Truly, I kept my heart to be pure for nothing,
    and I kept myself to be pure for nothing.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nimejitahidi bure kuwa na moyo mweupe,
    na kujilinda, ili nisitende dhambi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “So, God, I think it is useless that I have always done what you want me to,
    and that I have not sinned.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 73:13 - 73:14

Good News Translation translates verse 13 as a rhetorical question, suggesting the psalmist’s anguished perplexity (so New Jerusalem Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New American Bible); most translate as a statement. All in vain can be translated “It does me no good (to keep myself pure).” As in 26.6, the figure of washed my hands in innocence in verse 13b represents the psalmist’s conviction that he is not guilty of any sin which deserves the punishment that he is receiving.

Since verse 13 returns to the first person, and because there is a relation of contrast between verses 12 and 13, translators should use a natural means in the language to show this; for example, “But on the other hand I have…” or “but I have not done like them; I have….” Whether the translator uses a rhetorical question (as in Good News Translation) or a statement (as in Revised Standard Version), he normally has four choices in handling the metaphor washed my hands in innocence: (a) to keep it in its Revised Standard Version form; (b) to make explicit the meaning of the metaphor; for example, “I have washed my hands to show that I am innocent”; (c) to depart from the metaphor (as in Good News Translation); or (d) to substitute a receptor-language metaphor. In some languages the expression have I kept my heart clean is said “I have wiped evil words from my mouth” or “I have kept my heart white.”

The expression all the day long, if translated literally, will apply in some languages only to one day’s time, and therefore should be recast as extended time; for example, “all the time,” “every day,” or “always.”

Verse 14 uses the passive voice of the verb in Hebrew, I have been stricken (the same verb is used in verse 5b), and in line b the passive noun phrase “my chastening.” Most translations (including Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) use the passive voice, leaving it to the reader to decide the source of the psalmist’s suffering. Good News Translation understands these passives to refer to God’s action and translates with God as the subject of the verbs. But instead of the past tense of Good News Translation, the present tense would be more effective: “O God, you make me suffer all day long; every morning you punish me.” The suffering with which the psalmist is being punished could be sickness or some other misfortune. This is the reason for his doubt: the wicked prosper while he, innocent and blameless, suffers. How can a just God allow this to happen?

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .