John 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?
John 8:10 nkjv
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"
John 8:10 niv
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
John 8:10 esv
Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
John 8:10 nlt
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"
John 8 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 3:17 | For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save... | Jesus' primary mission is salvation, not condemnation. |
| Jn 12:47 | For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. | Reiterates Jesus' purpose during His first advent. |
| Lk 9:56 | For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives but to save them. | Jesus' identity as Savior and Life-Giver. |
| Jn 5:22 | For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. | Jesus possesses ultimate judicial authority. |
| Jn 5:27 | And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. | Authority given to Jesus for final judgment. |
| Mt 25:31-32 | When the Son of Man comes... all the nations will be gathered before Him... | Prophecy of Jesus' future judgment of humanity. |
| Rom 14:10-12 | For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ... | Universal accountability to Christ as Judge. |
| Acts 17:31 | He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world... by the Man whom He has appointed. | God's ordained plan for future judgment through Christ. |
| Mt 7:1-2 | Judge not, that you be not judged... For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged... | Warning against hypocritical human judgment. |
| Rom 2:1 | Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge... | God condemns hypocrisy in judgment. |
| Jas 4:12 | There is one Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and to destroy... | God alone has the ultimate right to judge. |
| Ps 103:10-12 | He has not dealt with us according to our sins... As far as the east is from the west... | God's abundant mercy in removing sin's penalty. |
| Isa 43:25 | I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake... | God's divine initiative in granting forgiveness. |
| Mic 7:18-19 | Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity... He delights in mercy. | God's unique nature as a pardoning, merciful God. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed... They are new every morning. | Assurance of God's fresh and constant mercies. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | The foundational act of God's love and grace. |
| Lev 20:10 | The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife... both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. | Mosaic Law regarding the punishment for adultery. |
| Deut 22:22 | If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die... | Reinforcement of the Mosaic Law for adultery. |
| Jn 5:14 | Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more..." | Jesus' command to a healed man to stop sinning. |
| Rom 8:1 | There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus... | Spiritual freedom from condemnation for believers. |
| Exod 34:6-7 | The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious... will by no means clear the guilty. | God's character of both mercy and justice. |
| Tit 3:5 | not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us... | Salvation is based on God's mercy, not human deeds. |
John 8 verses
John 8 10 Meaning
Jesus stands from His stooping position and directly addresses the woman who was caught in adultery. He asks her where her accusers have gone and if no one has condemned her. This verse marks the moment when Jesus turns the focus from the legalistic trap set by the scribes and Pharisees back to the individual and the absence of any remaining accusers, paving the way for His compassionate and authoritative declaration in the following verse. It underscores His unique ability to expose hypocrisy and to offer a form of justice rooted in mercy rather than retribution.
John 8 10 Context
John 8:10 is embedded within the narrative of Jesus at the Temple during the Feast of Booths (Sukkot). Jesus, after teaching, is confronted by scribes and Pharisees who bring a woman caught in the act of adultery. Their intent is not to uphold the law but to trap Jesus: if He orders her stoning, He would usurp Roman authority; if He forbids it, He would undermine Mosaic Law. Jesus stoops to write on the ground (vv. 6-8), and then famously declares, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her" (v. 7). This causes the accusers to depart, "beginning with the oldest even to the last" (v. 9), leaving only Jesus and the woman. Verse 10 captures the immediate aftermath of this dispersal, as Jesus directly engages with the woman, having diffused the immediate threat of her execution. The historical-cultural context reveals the selective application of the law, as the man involved in the adultery was not brought forth, highlighting the accusers' hypocrisy and their male-centric society.
John 8 10 Word analysis
- Jesus: From the Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iesous), emphasizing His divine identity and authority in this critical moment.
- stood up: ἀνακύψας (anakypsas), a participle derived from ἀνακύπτω, meaning "to stand up straight," "to raise one's head." This signifies a decisive change in posture and engagement from His previous stooping, embodying a movement from quiet contemplation or subtle challenge to direct confrontation and pronouncement.
- and said to her, 'Woman,: εἶπεν αὐτῇ, "Γύναι" (eipen autē, "Gynai"). "Gynai" is the vocative form of γυνή (gynē), meaning "woman." It is a respectful, formal, and sometimes tender form of address, not derogatory, frequently used by Jesus (e.g., John 2:4; 19:26), especially in situations requiring dignity or gravity. It restores her humanity in a deeply humiliating situation.
- where are they?: Ποῦ εἰσίν ἐκεῖνοι; (Pou eisin ekeinoi?) A direct question that rhetorically highlights the absence of her accusers. The collective "they" (ἐκεῖνοι) refers to the scribes and Pharisees. It points to the powerful effect of Jesus' challenge that exposed their own sin.
- Has no one condemned you?': Οὐδείς σε κατέκρινεν; (Oudeis se katekrinen?) A rhetorical question, anticipating a negative answer, indicating that no legal or official condemnation from her accusers had occurred.
- Οὐδείς (Oudeis): "no one," emphasizing the complete lack of remaining accusers to perform the condemnation.
- κατέκρινεν (katekrinen): from κατακρίνω (katakrino), meaning "to condemn," "to pass judgment against," "to sentence." This verb specifically refers to pronouncing a judgment of guilt and deserving punishment. Jesus highlights the failure of human justice to execute its condemning function due to the accusers' own moral failing.
John 8 10 Bonus section
- Literary Placement and Authenticity: The pericope of the Adulteress (John 7:53–8:11) is notably absent from the earliest Greek manuscripts and is believed by many scholars to be an early textual addition to the Gospel of John, possibly migrating from a non-canonical source or another Gospel tradition. Despite debates over its original Johannine authenticity, its theological message profoundly aligns with Jesus' character and teachings elsewhere in the Gospels, emphasizing grace, mercy, and confrontation of hypocrisy. It has been widely accepted into the Christian canon for centuries due to its strong ethical and spiritual resonance.
- Restoring Dignity: In a situation designed for her public humiliation and death, Jesus' address of "Woman" and His protection of her actions provided a profound restoration of her human dignity. He elevated her beyond being a mere object of legalistic debate or a pawn in a trap against Him, acknowledging her as an individual deserving of respect.
- Divine vs. Human Law: This verse is a powerful illustration of Jesus' interaction with and transcendence of the Mosaic Law. While upholding the truth that adultery is sin (implied in the instruction to "sin no more"), Jesus deftly navigates the situation to prioritize mercy, exposing the spirit of the law over its rigid, hypocritical application. His actions reveal a deeper divine principle that demands inner purity from accusers, moving beyond mere external adherence.
John 8 10 Commentary
John 8:10 presents Jesus as the sovereign exposer of hypocrisy and the giver of ultimate mercy. By standing and addressing the woman, Jesus assumes a posture of authoritative judgment and compassionate engagement. His initial query, "Woman, where are they?", brilliantly underscores the departure of her self-righteous accusers, confirming that His challenge for a sinless stone-caster had emptied the court. This action clears the stage, highlighting the absence of human condemnation. The subsequent rhetorical question, "Has no one condemned you?", points to the physical reality that no one remained to carry out the Law's penalty. It is a vital setup for Jesus' following declaration of "neither do I condemn you," affirming His distinct and divine authority, which transcends the flawed legalism of His human adversaries, offering freedom without excusing the sin itself. This moment beautifully demonstrates God's character of seeking mercy before judgment when faced with a repentant or humbled soul.