{Washed his hands} (apenipsato tas cheiras). As a last
resort since the hubbub (	horubos) increased because of his
vacillation. The verb aponipt(935c) means to wash off and the middle
voice means that he washed off his hands for himself as a common
symbol of cleanliness and added his pious claim with a slap at
them. {I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man} (or
{this blood}); {see ye to it}. (Ath(9369)os eimi apo tou haimatos
tou dikaiou toutou or 	ou haimatos toutou as some manuscripts
have it, humeis opsesthe.) The Jews used this symbol ( De 21:6  Ps 26:6  73:13 ). Plummer doubts if Pilate said these words with
a direct reference to his wife's message ( 26:19 ), but I fail to
see the ground for that scepticism. The so-called _Gospel of
Peter_ says that Pilate washed his hands because the Jews refused
to do so.