1Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [8:2] But early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to him, and he sat down and was teaching them. [8:3] The scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman who had been grasped in adultery, and having placed her in the middle, [8:4] they say to him: "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. [8:5] Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" [8:6] They said this testing him, in order that they might have grounds to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and was writing in the dust with his finger. [8:7] And when they kept asking him, he straightened up and said to them: "Let the one without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." [8:8] And again bending down, he was writing in the dust. [8:9] But when they heard it, they went out one by one, beginning from the elder ones, and he was left alone, with the woman being in the middle. [8:10] Straightening up, Jesus said to her: "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" [8:11] She said: "No one, Lord." And Jesus said: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more."
JHN 8:1-11
The Woman Caught in Adultery
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Judea, adultery was a serious offense under Jewish law, punishable by stoning (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22-24). The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act to Jesus, testing Him to see if He would uphold the Mosaic law or contradict it, thereby giving them grounds to accuse Him. Their question is a trap: if Jesus dismisses the law, He undermines His authority as a teacher of Torah; if He upholds it, He risks alienating His followers who saw Him as merciful. The setting is the temple, a public and sacred space where disputes over Torah interpretation were common. The act of writing in the dust (implied later in the passage) may evoke Jeremiah 17:13, symbolizing judgment or the futility of accusations. Jesus’ response shifts the focus from the woman to the accusers’ own conscience , challenging their self-righteousness and exposing their hypocrisy.
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How other translations render this
JHN 8:1
- KJV
- Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
- BSB
- But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
- Koinōnos
- Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
JHN 8:2
- KJV
- And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
- BSB
- Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.
- Koinōnos
- But early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to him, and he sat down and was teaching them.
JHN 8:3
- KJV
- And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
- BSB
- The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them
- Koinōnos
- The scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman who had been grasped in adultery, and having placed her in the middle,
JHN 8:4
- KJV
- They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
- BSB
- and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
- Koinōnos
- they say to him: "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
JHN 8:5
- KJV
- Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
- BSB
- In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”
- Koinōnos
- Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?
JHN 8:6
- 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.
- BSB
- They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
- Koinōnos
- They said this testing him, in order that they might have grounds to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and was writing in the dust with his finger.
JHN 8:7
- KJV
- So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
- BSB
- When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
- Koinōnos
- And when they kept asking him, he straightened up and said to them: "Let the one without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
JHN 8:8
- KJV
- And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
- BSB
- And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.
- Koinōnos
- And again bending down, he was writing in the dust.
JHN 8:9
- KJV
- And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
- BSB
- When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.
- Koinōnos
- But when they heard it, they went out one by one, beginning from the elder ones, and he was left alone, with the woman being in the middle.
JHN 8:10
- KJV
- When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
- BSB
- Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”
- Koinōnos
- Straightening up, Jesus said to her: "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?
JHN 8:11
- KJV
- She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
- BSB
- “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”
- Koinōnos
- She said: "No one, Lord." And Jesus said: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
JHN 8:3
- having been grasped:The word translated 'having been grasped' here implies being caught or apprehended, often with the sense of being seized or taken into custody, rather than simply understood or perceived.
JHN 8:4
- [the] very act:The phrase translated '[the] very act' specifically refers to being caught in the midst of committing a crime, leaving no doubt about the person's guilt.
JHN 8:6
- they may have [grounds]:The word translated 'they may have [grounds]' carries the sense of possessing or holding something, in this context, a basis or reason for accusation.
JHN 8:9
- conscience:The term 'conscience' in this context refers to an inner moral awareness or a shared knowledge of right and wrong, which can lead to self-condemnation.