Wash your hands of something
Meaning
To completely disassociate oneself from responsibility, involvement, or blame for a particular situation or outcome.
Origin
The phrase traces its roots directly to the Bible, specifically the New Testament account of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea. Facing a crowd demanding the crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate, despite finding no fault in Jesus, dramatically washed his hands in front of the multitude, declaring, "I am innocent of this man's blood." This powerful, symbolic gesture was intended to absolve himself of moral responsibility and shift the blame to the people. It vividly conveyed the act of renouncing involvement and guilt, and has since entered common language as a potent metaphor for disclaiming responsibility.
Examples
- After repeated attempts to mediate the dispute failed, the manager decided to wash her hands of the entire affair.
- He told his business partners that if they insisted on such a risky venture, he would have no choice but to wash his hands of it.