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.
• 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 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 was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 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. 7So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8And again 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 14:22because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,
• Matthew 19:3The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
• Luke 10:25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Luke 11:53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
• Luke 20:20So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
• 1 Corinthians 10:9nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
• John 8:2Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.
• Genesis 49:9Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
• Jeremiah 17:13O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.”
• Daniel 5:5In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
• Psalms 38:12Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.
• Psalms 39:1I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”
• Proverbs 26:17He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a 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 the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
• Matthew 10:16“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless 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