John 8
Lexham English Bible
A Woman Caught in Adultery
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning he came again to the temple courts.[a] And all the people were coming,[b] and he sat down and[c] began to teach[d] them.
3 Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman[e] caught in adultery. And standing her in their midst, 4 they said to him, testing him,[f] “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery! 5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion[g] to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write[h] with his[i] finger on the ground, taking no notice.[j] 7 And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said[k] to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!” 8 And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. 9 Now when they[l] heard it,[m] being convicted by their conscience,[n] they began to depart,[o] one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus[p] was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst. 10 So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman,[q] said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours?[r] Does no one condemn you?” 11 And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and[s] sin no more.”]][t]
Jesus, the Light of the World
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify concerning yourself! Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify concerning myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going. But you do not know where I have come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone. 16 But even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true.[u] 18 I am the one who testifies concerning myself, and the Father who sent me testifies concerning me.”
19 So they were saying to him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You know neither me nor my Father! If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words by the treasury while[v] teaching in the temple courts,[w] and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me and will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come!” 22 Then the Jews began to say,[x] “Perhaps he will kill himself, because he is saying, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 23 And he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. 24 Thus I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
25 So they began to say to him,[y] “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What[z] I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but the one who sent me is true, and the things which I heard from him, these things I say to the world.” 27 (They did not know that he was speaking to them about the Father.)
28 Then Jesus said,[aa] “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will recognize that I am he, and I do nothing from myself, but just as the Father taught me, I say these things. 29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 While[ab] he was saying these things, many believed in him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not remain in the household forever;[ac] the son remains forever.[ad] 36 So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. 38 I speak the things that I have seen with the Father; so also you do the things that you have heard from the Father.”
The Priority of Jesus Over Abraham
39 They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father!”
They said[ae] to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 Why[af] do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature,[ag] because he is a liar and the father of lies.[ah] 45 But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why[ai] do you not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.”
48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus replied, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me! 50 But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges! 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever.”[aj]
52 The Jews[ak] said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death forever.’[al] 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?[am] And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you! But I know him and I keep his word. 56 Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it[an] and was glad.”
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are[ao] not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones in order to throw them[ap] at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple courts.[aq]
Footnotes
- John 8:2 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- John 8:2 Some manuscripts have “were coming to him”
- John 8:2 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb
- John 8:2 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”)
- John 8:3 Some manuscripts have “brought a woman”
- John 8:4 Some manuscripts omit “testing him”
- John 8:6 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 8:6 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to write”)
- John 8:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- John 8:6 Some manuscripts omit “taking no notice”
- John 8:7 Some manuscripts have “he straightened up and said”
- John 8:9 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- John 8:9 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 8:9 Some manuscripts omit “being convicted by their conscience”
- John 8:9 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to depart”)
- John 8:9 Some manuscripts have “he”
- John 8:10 Some manuscripts omit “and seeing no one except the woman”
- John 8:10 Some manuscripts have “said to her, ‘Woman, where are they?”
- John 8:11 Some manuscripts have “and from now on”
- John 8:11 John 7:53–8:11 is not found in the earliest and best manuscripts and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John; one significant group of Greek manuscripts places it after Luke 21:38
- John 8:17 An allusion to Deut 17:6
- John 8:20 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“teaching”) which is understood as temporal
- John 8:20 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
- John 8:22 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
- John 8:25 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
- John 8:25 Literally “that which”
- John 8:28 Some manuscripts have “said to them”
- John 8:30 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was saying”)
- John 8:35 Literally “for the age”
- John 8:35 Literally “for the age”
- John 8:41 Some manuscripts have “Then they said”
- John 8:43 Literally “because of what”
- John 8:44 *The word “nature” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- John 8:44 Literally “of it”
- John 8:46 Literally “because of what”
- John 8:51 Literally “for the age”
- John 8:52 Some manuscripts have “Then the Jews”
- John 8:52 Literally “for the age”
- John 8:53 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are you”
- John 8:56 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 8:57 Literally “you have”
- John 8:59 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 8:59 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
John 8
Expanded Bible
The Woman Caught in Adultery
8 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives [C east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley]. 2 But ·early in the morning [at dawn] he went back to the Temple [courts; 2:14], and all the people came to him, and he sat and taught them. 3 The ·teachers of the law [scribes; C experts in the law of Moses] and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They forced her to stand ·before [or in the midst of] the people. 4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught ·having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband [in the very act of committing adultery]. 5 The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this [compare Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22–24]. What do you say we should do?” 6 They were asking this to ·trick [trap; test] Jesus so that they could have some ·charge [accusation] against him.
But Jesus ·bent over [stooped down] and started writing on the ground with his finger [C we do not know what he is writing though there has been much speculation]. 7 When they continued to ask Jesus their question, he ·raised up [straightened] and said, “Anyone here who ·has never sinned [is guiltless; T is without sin] can throw the first stone at her [Deut. 13:9; 17:7; comp. Lev. 24:14].” 8 Then Jesus ·bent over [stooped down] again and wrote on the ground.
9 Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one, first the ·older men [elders] and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus ·raised up [straightened] again and asked her, “Woman [C a respectful term of address in Greek; see 2:4], where are they? Has no one ·judged you guilty [condemned you]?”
11 She answered, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “I also don’t ·judge you guilty [condemn you]. ·You may go now, but don’t sin anymore [T Go, and sin no more].”|
Jesus Is the Light of the World
12 Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world [C the Feast of Shelters included a lamp lighting ritual that Jesus may be alluding to; 7:37–39]. The person who follows me will never ·live [L walk] in darkness but will have the light ·that gives life [L of life].”
13 The Pharisees [see 1:24] said to Jesus, “When you ·talk [testify; witness] about yourself, ·you are the only one to say these things are true. We cannot accept what you say [L your testimony/witness is not true/valid; 5:31].”
14 Jesus answered, “Yes, I am ·saying these things [witnessing; testifying] about myself, but they are true [valid]. I know where I came from [C from the Father or “from above”] and where I am going. But you don’t know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You judge ·by human standards [T according to the flesh; C rather than guided by the Spirit]. I am not judging anyone. 16 But ·when [if] I do judge, ·I judge truthfully [L my judgment is true], because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that ·when two witnesses say the same thing, you must accept what they say [L the testimony of two witnesses is true/valid; Deut. 17:6; 19:15]. 18 I am one of the witnesses who speaks about myself, and the Father who sent me is the other witness.”
19 [L Therefore] They asked him, “Where is your father?”
Jesus answered, “You don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father, too.” 20 Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the Temple [courts], near ·where the money is kept [the treasury; offering box]. But no one ·arrested [seized] him, because ·the right time for him [L his hour; see 2:4] had not yet come.
The People Misunderstand Jesus
21 Again, Jesus said to the people, “I will leave you [C when he dies, is raised, and ascends to the Father], and you will ·look for [seek; search for] me, but you will die in your ·sins [L sin; C of unbelief]. You cannot come where I am going.”
22 So the Jews asked, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he said, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”
23 Jesus said, “You people are from here below [C from the earth], but I am from above [C from heaven or from God]. You belong to this world, but I ·don’t belong to this world [L am not of this world]. 24 So I told you that you would die in your sins. Yes, you will die in your sins if you don’t believe that ·I am he [L I am; C this may be an allusion to God’s (Yahweh’s) self identification either from Ex. 3:14 (the great “I AM”) or Is. 40—55, where God repeatedly says, “I am he”)].”
25 [L Therefore] They asked, “Then who are you?”
Jesus answered them, “·I am what I have told you from the beginning [or Why do I speak to you at all?]. 26 I have many things to say and ·decide about you [or condemn/judge you for]. But I tell ·people [the world] only the things I have heard from the One who sent me, and he speaks the truth.”
27 The people did not understand that he was talking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up [C on the cross] the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14], you will know that ·I am he [L I am; C see 8:24]. You will know that these things I do are not ·by my own authority [on my own] but that I say only what the Father has taught me. 29 The One who sent me is with me. I always do what is pleasing to him, so he has not left me alone.” 30 While Jesus was saying these things, many people believed in him.
Freedom from Sin
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you ·continue to obey my teaching [L remain/abide in my word], you are truly my ·followers [disciples]. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will ·make [set] you free.”
33 They answered, “We are Abraham’s ·children [descendants; L seed; Gen. 12:1–3], and we have never been anyone’s slaves. So why do you say we will be free?”
34 Jesus answered them, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], everyone who ·lives in sin [commits/practices sin] is a slave to sin. 35 A slave does not ·stay with a family [live in the household] forever, but a son ·belongs to the family [lives in the household] forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be ·truly free [T free indeed]. 37 I know you are Abraham’s ·children [descendants; L seed], but you ·want [are trying; seek] to kill me because ·you don’t accept my teaching [L my word has no place in you; C thus showing they were Abraham’s children only physically, not spiritually; Jer. 9:25–26; Rom. 9:7; Gal. 4:21–31]. 38 I am telling you ·what my Father has shown me [L what I have seen in the Father’s presence], but you do what ·your father [or the Father] has told you.”
39 They answered, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were really Abraham’s children, you would do[a] the things Abraham did. 40 I am a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like that. 41 So you are doing the things your own father did.”
But [or Therefore] they said to him, “We are not ·like children who never knew who their father was [illegitimate children; L born from/of fornication]. God is our Father; he is the only Father we have.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were really your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. [L For] I did not come ·by my own authority [on my own]; God sent me. 43 You don’t understand [L Why don’t you understand…?] what I say, because you cannot ·accept my teaching [L hear my word/message]. 44 You ·belong to [are from] your father the devil, and you want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning [Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12] and ·was against the truth [does not uphold the truth], because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, ·he shows what he is really like [he reveals his own nature; or he speaks his own language; L he speaks from his own], because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you don’t believe me. 46 ·Can any of you [L Who among you can…?] ·prove that I am guilty [convict me] of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The person who belongs to God ·accepts what God says [L hears/obeys the words of God]. But you don’t ·accept what God says [hear; obey], because you don’t belong to God.”
Jesus Is Greater than Abraham
48 ·They [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] answered, “We say you are a Samaritan [C a people disliked by the Jews; 4:4, 9] and ·have a demon in you [are demon-possessed]. Are we not right?”
49 Jesus answered, “I ·have no demon in me [am not demon-possessed]. I give honor to my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I am not trying to get ·honor [glory] for myself. There is One who wants this ·honor [glory] for me, and he is the judge. 51 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], whoever ·obeys my teaching will never die [L keeps my word will never see death].”
52 [L Therefore] ·They [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] said to Jesus, “Now we know that you ·have a demon in you [are demon-possessed]! Even Abraham and the prophets died. But you say, ‘Whoever ·obeys my teaching will never die [L keeps my word will never taste death].’ 53 Do you think you are greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died, too. ·Who do you think you are [or Who are you claiming/pretending to be]?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I give ·honor [glory] to myself, that ·honor [glory] is worth nothing. The One who gives me ·honor [glory] is my Father, and you say he is your God. 55 You don’t really know him, but I know him. If I said I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I ·obey what he says [L keep his word]. 56 Your father Abraham ·was very happy [rejoiced] that he would see my day [C the day of the Messiah’s arrival]. He saw that day and was glad.”
57 [L Therefore] ·They [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] said to him, “You have never seen Abraham! You are not even fifty years old [C Abraham had been dead for almost 2,000 years].”
58 Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], before Abraham was even born, ·I am!” [C A claim to deity; see comments at 8:24; 10:28.] 59 When Jesus said this, the people picked up stones to throw at him [C believing he had committed blasphemy worthy of death]. But Jesus hid himself, and then he left the Temple.
Footnotes
- John 8:39 If … do Some Greek copies read “If you are really Abraham’s children, you will do.”
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