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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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

4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 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. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he stooped 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 14:22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—
• Matthew 19:3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
• Luke 10:25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Luke 11:53When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,
• Luke 20:20Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.
• 1 Corinthians 10:9We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.
• John 8:2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
• Genesis 49:9You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
• Jeremiah 17:13Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.
• Daniel 5:5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
• Psalms 38:12Those who want to kill me set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they scheme and lie.
• Psalms 39:1I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”
• Proverbs 26:17Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
• Ecclesiastes 3:7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
• Amos 5:10There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.
• Matthew 10:16“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as 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