To wipe or wipe dry. Used four times in the Gospels of women wiping Jesus' feet with their hair — an act of profound devotion and intimacy. Also used in John 13:5 of Jesus himself wiping the disciples' feet with a towel.
Ekmassō belongs to some of the most intimate scenes in the Gospels. Three times it describes the sinful woman of Luke 7 and Mary of Bethany wiping Jesus' feet with their hair after anointing them with perfume. The act is extravagant, worshipful, and culturally transgressive. Jesus defends both women against their critics. In John 13:5, Jesus himself uses a towel to wipe (ekmassō) the disciples' feet. The word spans both the worshiper's devotion and the Savior's condescension: love is expressed in the wiping of feet.