YHN 8:4 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:53–8:11: Jesus protected a woman who committed adultery

The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient documents do not contain this section, John 7:53–8:11. Some English translations, including the GNT, put it in brackets or parentheses. Others, including the NIV, put it in the text. However, they also say that it is almost certainly not part of the original text of John. Yet the passage is very old and may well contain a real narrative of an event in Jesus’ life.

All English translations include it in some way. So you should also include this section so that readers can learn it and refer to it. In addition to the above ways to include it, you can also put it in a footnote.

In this passage, some scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught committing adultery. They said that the law commanded them to stone an adulterer to death and asked Jesus about it. Jesus said that the person who had no sin should throw the first stone. They all left except the woman, and Jesus told her that he did not condemn her and to not sin again.

Here are other possible section titles:

Jesus saved/defended a sinful woman

Jesus refused to condemn a sinful woman

A woman adulterer received forgiveness

Paragraph 8:3–6b

The Jewish religious leaders set a trap for Jesus. They wanted to force Jesus to say something that they could use against him in a trial. They asked him to decide what to do about a woman who they found committing adultery. (That means that she was having sexual activity with someone who was not her husband.)

8:4

and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was seen committing adultery.
Then they said to Jesus, “Teacher, we^(excl) saw this woman in bed with a man who is not her husband.

and said: The speech indicator said introduces a direct quotation and is first in the sentence. In some languages it may be more natural to put it in another place. It may also be natural to start a new sentence here. For example:

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.…” (NLT)

Teacher: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach about God. In some languages the suitable way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir

Master

Do not use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.

this woman was caught in the act of adultery: This is an accusation. The men accused the woman of committing adultery. They said that someone had seen her do it. They did not say who her male partner was or why they did not bring him also.

This clause is similar to that in 8:3a but adds the words in the act. These words emphasize that the men had definite proof of the adultery. There was no doubt that she was guilty.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn’t her husband (CEV)

this woman was caught: This is a passive clause. There are at least two ways to translate it:

Use a passive verb. For example:
this woman has been caught in the act of adultery (ESV)
Use an active verb. For example:
We caught this woman in the act of adultery. (GW)

Use the verb form that is most natural in your language.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 8:4

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 7:53–8:11: Jesus protected a woman who committed adultery

Paragraph 8:3–6b

8:4

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)