Embaptō (ἐμβάπτω, G1686) means to dip into, to dip in — the action of plunging something into liquid. From en (in) + baptō (to dip). It appears in Matthew 26:23 and Mark 14:20, where Jesus identifies His betrayer: 'The one who dips his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.' The word is related to but distinct from baptizō (to baptize) — embaptō is specifically the act of dipping into a vessel.
The word embaptō appears in one of the most intimate and devastating moments in the Gospels: the Last Supper betrayal disclosure. Jewish table fellowship was sacred — to share the dish was to share covenant solidarity. The one who dips with Jesus in the dish is simultaneously enjoying covenant intimacy and preparing to shatter it. This is the ultimate betrayal: not an enemy at the gate but a friend at the table. Psalm 41:9 — 'Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me' — is quoted by Jesus with explicit reference to Judas (John 13:18). The act of dipping (embaptō) becomes the sign of identification. Yet even in this, Jesus is in control: 'No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord' (John 10:18). The eucharistic overtones are rich: the dish that marks betrayal is transformed into the cup of salvation.