John 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.
John 8:6 nkjv
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.
John 8:6 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.
John 8:6 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.
John 8:6 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.
John 8 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:6 | Jesus ... knelt down and wrote on the ground with his finger. | N/A |
| Ex 32:4 | Aaron took the gold and shaped it with a chisel, making a molten calf. | Depicts crafting something from earthly material, contrast to Jesus' divine inscription. |
| Ex 32:15 | Moses turned and went down from the mountain, the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand. | Jesus writing might allude to the Law, contrasting the written law with God's mercy. |
| Ex 32:19 | When he drew near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. | Broken Law, showing humanity's sinfulness contrasted with Jesus' grace. |
| Deut 9:10 | The Lord said to me, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." | Direct command to write God's words and covenant. |
| Isa 8:1 | Then the Lord said to me, "Take a large tablet and write on it in ordinary characters..." | Prophets using writing as a means of divine communication. |
| Jer 17:1 | "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of a diamond it is engraved..." | Sin being inscribed, possibly Jesus writing their sins or His understanding. |
| Luke 3:8 | Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' | John the Baptist calling for genuine repentance, a theme Jesus will address. |
| Luke 10:25 | And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test... | Similar testing of Jesus with difficult questions. |
| Luke 11:53-54 | ...started questioning him intently on many matters, plotting to trap him, listening for a slip from his lips. | Describes the hostile intent of the scribes and Pharisees. |
| John 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Jesus as the divine Word, who also "writes". |
| John 3:17 | For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. | Jesus' mission of salvation, not condemnation. |
| John 5:38 | ... you have not heard his voice at any time or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you... | The Jews claimed God's word but did not truly have it. |
| John 7:45-46 | The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" They answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!" | Witness to Jesus' authoritative speaking. |
| John 8:48 | "We know that you have a demon! Have we not rightly said that you are a Samariian and have a demon?" | The accusers dismiss Jesus and His divine origin. |
| 1 Cor 10:4 | ...and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. | Christ as the source of spiritual sustenance. |
| Gal 3:19 | Then why was the law given? It was added to show the effect of transgression and its penalty, until the Seed to whom the promise was made should come. | The law's purpose and its limitation. |
| 1 John 2:1 | My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. | Jesus as advocate, related to His writing and defense of the woman. |
| Rev 3:12 | The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he go out of the temple, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the new Jerusalem, from the the city that comes down from my God, and my own new name. | Jesus promises to write on believers. |
| Rev 13:8 | ... everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. | Jesus as the Lamb, whose name is inscribed in the book of life. |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. | The final judgment based on what is written. |
John 8 verses
John 8 6 Meaning
This verse records the specific action Jesus took in response to the accusers' attempt to trap Him. He knelt down and wrote on the ground, indicating a pause and a deliberate, non-confrontational approach to their question about the woman caught in adultery.
John 8 6 Context
The previous verses establish a confrontation instigated by the scribes and Pharisees. They bring a woman accused of adultery to Jesus, hoping to trap Him into contradicting the Law of Moses regarding stoning. Jesus' initial response was to speak indirectly to the accusers, suggesting they cast the first stone if they were without sin. This challenged their own hypocrisy.
John 8 6 Word Analysis
Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The subject of the sentence. Refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
δὲ (de): A conjunction meaning "but," "and," "however," indicating a transition or continuation. Here, it marks Jesus' response to their continued questioning.
ἀνακύψας (anakypsas): Aorist participle of anakyptō, meaning "to look up," "to stoop and look up," or "to bend down and look up." The nuance here is significant; He wasn't just casually looking up, but more likely rising slightly from a bent posture.
ἐπεὶ (epei): A conjunction meaning "since," "because," "seeing that." It implies His action was a response to their persistent questioning.
παρεzięλοντο (parezēlou⁵to): Aorist passive subjunctive of parēzēlou⁴ō, meaning "to tempt," "to test," "to put to the test," "to provoke." They were persistently trying to trap Him.
αὐτὸν (auton): Pronoun, "him," referring to Jesus.
ἐπηρώτησαν (epērōtēsan): Aorist active indicative of eperōtáō, meaning "to ask," "to question," "to interrogate."
κάτω (katō): Adverb, "downward," "below."
τῇ (tē): Definite article, "the," feminine dative singular.
γῇ (gē): Noun, "earth," "ground," "land."
τὸ (to): Definite article, "the," neuter accusative singular.
δάκτυλον (daktylon): Noun, "finger," accusative singular.
ἔγραφεν (egraphen): Imperfect active indicative of graphō, meaning "to write," "to draw." The imperfect tense suggests a continuous or repeated action of writing.
Words group analysis:
- "Jesus, but..." - Jesus' direct response to their continuing challenge.
- "...bent down and with his finger wrote on the ground." - This phrase encapsulates His physical posture and action, a deliberate, calm, and unusual method of answering an aggressive question.
John 8 6 Bonus Section
The silence and the act of writing are contrasted with the aggressive verbal attacks of the scribes and Pharisees. This action shows Jesus is not bound by their immediate pressure and operates on a different level of understanding and authority. The specific content of what Jesus wrote is not revealed, leaving room for interpretation and underscoring the focus on His authority and discernment rather than the explicit message. This pause effectively disrupted their plan to entrap Him and shifted the burden back to their own consciences. His divine knowledge is evident in His ability to understand the true state of their hearts as they question Him.
John 8 6 Commentary
Jesus' action of kneeling and writing on the ground is a profound statement. It represents a deliberate pause and a shift in focus from their verbal aggression to a quiet, perhaps internal, contemplation or revelation. Some suggest He was writing their sins on the ground, implying that human sin is easily erased by divine grace, or perhaps even the charges against the woman. Others believe He was referencing the Mosaic Law, which He came to fulfill and uphold, but in a manner that exposed the hypocrisy of those invoking it. This act demonstrated His wisdom, patience, and mastery over the situation, disarming the accusers not with argumentative rhetoric, but with a silent, divinely-inspired action. His response highlights the spiritual reality behind the legalistic facade of His questioners.