John 8:6

John 8:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
• New International Version (NIV)They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
• New Living Translation (NLT)They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

Context of John 8:6

4they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

John 8:6 word by word

τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγον πειράζοντες αὐτόν, ἵνα ἔχωσιν κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κάτω κύψας τῷ δακτύλῳ εἰς τὴν γῆν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• temptingπειράζωpeirazō · to test/tempt: testG3985
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• to accuseκατηγορέωkatēgoreō · to accuseG2723
• Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• stoopedκύπτωkuptō · to stoop/bend downG2955
• downκάτωkatō katōterō · underG2736
• and withδάκτυλοςdaktulos · fingerG1147
• wroteγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• onεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the groundγῆgē · earth: soilG1093

Cross-references for John 8:6

• Numbers 14:22none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,
• Matthew 19:3And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"
• Luke 10:25And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
• Luke 11:53As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,
• Luke 20:20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
• 1 Corinthians 10:9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
• John 8:2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
• Genesis 49:9Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
• Jeremiah 17:13O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
• Daniel 5:5Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.
• Psalms 38:12Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
• Psalms 39:1I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence."
• Proverbs 26:17Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
• Ecclesiastes 3:7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
• Amos 5:10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
• Matthew 10:16"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Commentaries on John 8:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6That they might have to accuse him - Had our Lord condemned the woman to death, they might have accused him to Pilate, as arrogating to himself the power of life and death, which the Romans had taken away from the Jews; besides, the Roman laws did not condemn an adulteress to be put to death. On the other hand, if he had said she should not be put to death, they might have represented him to the people as one who decided contrary to the law, and favored…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Tempting him - Trying him, or laying a plan that they might have occasion to accuse him. If he decided the case, they expected to be able to bring an accusation against him; for if he decided that she ought to die, they might accuse him of claiming power which belonged to the Romans - the power of life and death. They might allege that it was not the giving an opinion about an abstract case, but that she was formally before him, that he decided her case…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6We cannot know what Jesus wrote in the dust. Some scholars suggest he wrote down the sins of those who were accusing the woman.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-63-6. scribes and Pharisees--foiled in their yesterday's attempt, and hoping to succeed better in this.Read the comment

Topics related to John 8:6

• Adultery
• Hypocrisy
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Act
• Adultery
• Conscience
• Continue
• Flesh
• Hear
• Lift
• Treasury

Commentaries on John 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings