John 8 · Verse 6

John 8:6

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.

John 8:6, King James Version

John 8:6 in other translations

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.
WEB	They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
ASV	And this they said, trying him, that they might have whereof to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
YLT	and this they said, trying him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, with the finger he was writing on the ground,
DARBY	But this they said proving him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus, having stooped down, wrote with his finger on the ground.
BBE	They said this, testing him, so that they might have something against him. But Jesus, with his head bent down, made letters on the floor with his finger.
Webster	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.

What does John 8:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:3-6

3-6. scribes and Pharisees--foiled in their yesterday's attempt, and hoping to succeed better in this.

Read the full comment on John 8:3-6 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 6. Tempting 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 judicially, and that without authority or form of trial. If he decided otherwise, they would have alleged that he denied the authority of the law, and that it was his intention to abrogate it. They had had a controversy with him about the authority of the Sabbath, and they perhaps supposed that he would decide this case as he did that--against them. It may be farther added that they knew that Jesus admitted publicans and sinners to eat with him; that one of their charges was that he was friendly to sinners (see Lk 15:2); and they wished, doubtless, to make it appear that he was gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, and a friend of sinners, and disposed to relax all the laws of morality, even in the case of adultery. Seldom was there a plan more artfully laid, and never was more wisdom and knowledge of human nature displayed than in the manner in which it was met.

Wrote on the ground. This took place in the temple. The "ground," here, means the pavement, or the dust on the pavement. By this Jesus showed them clearly that he was not solicitous to pronounce an opinion in the case, and that it was not his wish or intention to intermeddle with the civil affairs of the nation.

As though he heard them not. This is added by the translators. It is not in the original, and should not have been added. There is no intimation in the original, as it seems to be implied by this addition, that the object was to convey the impression that he did not hear them. What was his object is unknown, and conjecture is useless. The most probable reason seems to be that he did not wish to intermeddle; that he designed to show no solicitude to decide the case; and that he did not mean to decide it unless he was constrained to.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 That 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 the crime of which the woman was accused. With his finger wrote - Several MSS. add their sins who accused her, and the sins of all men. There are many idle conjectures concerning what our Lord wrote on the ground, several of which may be seen in Calmet. We never find that Christ wrote any thing before or after this; and what he wrote at this time we know not. On this the pious Quesnel makes the following reflections: - "1. Since Jesus Christ never wrote but once that we hear of in his whole life; 2. since he did it only in the dust; 3. since it was only to avoid condemning a sinner; and, 4. since he would not have that which he wrote so much as known; let men learn from hence never to write but when it is necessary or useful; to do it with humility and modesty; and to do it on a principle of charity. How widely does Christ differ from men! He writes his Divine thoughts in the dust: they wish to have theirs cut in marble, and engraved on brass." Schools for children are frequently held under trees in Bengal, and the children who are beginning to learn write the letters of the alphabet in the dust. This saves pen, ink, and paper. Ward.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 8:1-11

Christ neither found fault with the law, nor excused the prisoner's guilt; nor did he countenance the pretended zeal of the Pharisees. Those are self-condemned who judge others, and yet do the same thing. All who are any way called to blame the faults of others, are especially concerned to look to themselves, and keep themselves pure. In this matter Christ attended to the great work about which he came into the…

Read the full comment on John 8:1-11 →

John 8:6 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

τοῦτοtoutoThisG3778

δὲdenowG1161

ἔλεγονelegonthey were sayingG3004

πειράζοντεςpeirazontestestingG3985

αὐτόν,autonHimG846

ἵναinaso thatG2443

ἔχωσινechōsinthey may have [grounds]G2192

κατηγορεῖνkatēgoreinto accuseG2723

αὐτοῦ.autouHim.G846

ὁho<the>G3588

δὲdeButG1161

ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424

κάτωkatōdownG2736

κύψαςkupsashaving stoopedG2955

τῷtō<the>G3588

δακτύλῳdaktulōwith [His] fingerG1147

ἔγραφενegraphenhe was writingG1125

εἰςeisonG1519

τὴνtēntheG3588

γῆν.gēnground.G1093

μὴmēnotG3361

προσποιούμενοςprospoioumenospretendingG4364

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 8:6

Jeremiah 17:13
O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
Luke 10:25
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Psalms 38:12-14
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
Ecclesiastes 3:7
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Amos 5:10
They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Matthew 19:3
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
1 Corinthians 10:9
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Luke 11:53-54
And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
Amos 5:13
Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
Numbers 14:22
Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Proverbs 26:17
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
Matthew 15:23
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

tempting.
Nu 14:22; Mt 19:3; Lu 10:25; 11:53,54; 20:20-23; 1Co 10:9
But.
2; Ge 49:9; Jer 17:13; Da 5:5
as though.
Ps 38:12-14; 39:1; Pr 26:17; Ec 3:7; Am 5:10,13; Mt 10:16; 15:23
Mt 26:63

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

John 8:5
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
John 8:6
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.
John 8:7
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.

Read all of John 8

John 8:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mas esto decían tentándole, para poder acusarle. Empero Jesús, inclinado hacia abajo, escribía en tierra con el dedo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Or ils disaient cela pour l’éprouver, afin qu’ils aient de quoi l’accuser. Mais Jésus, s’étant baissé, écrivait avec le doigt sur la terre.
German Elberfelder 1871	Dies aber sagten sie, ihn versuchend, auf daß sie etwas hätten, um ihn anzuklagen. Jesus aber bückte sich nieder und schrieb mit dem Finger auf die Erde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hoc autem dicebant tentantes eum, ut possent accusare eum. Jesus autem inclinans se deorsum, digito scribebat in terra.