YHN 8:6 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

BLB Now they were saying this testing Him, so that they might have grounds to accuse Him. But Jesus, having stooped down, began writing with His finger on the ground.

AICNT [[This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.]] [fn]
¶ Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground [[not pretending]].[fn]

8:6, This they said to test him..:Absent from D(05) that includes the Pericope Adulterae.

8:6, not pretending: Later manuscripts add. BYZ SBLGNT

OEB They said this to test him, in order to have a charge to bring against him. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.

LSB They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have evidence to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.

WEBBE 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.

WMBB They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.
¶ But Yeshua stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

NET (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against him.) Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

LSV 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,

FBV They said this to try and trap Jesus so they could condemn him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

TCNT (They said this to test him, so that they might [fn]have [fn]something to accuse him of.) But Jesus stooped down and wrote [fn]with his finger on the [fn]ground, taking no notice.

8:6 have μ^4,5,6,7 71.4% • μ^2,3 λ^1,2 ANT 24% ¦ find μ¹ 1.5%

8:6 something to accuse him of μ^1,5 21.9% ¦ an accusation against him μ^2,3,4,6,7 λ¹ ANT HF PCK 67.1% • λ² 6.1%

8:6 with his finger μ^{1,2,3,4+,5,6,7} λ^1,2 96.1% ¦ — μ⁴⁻ 1.6%

8:6 ground, taking no notice. μ^1,5,7 46.4% ¦ ground. μ^2,3,4,6 λ^1,2 ANT HF NA ST WH 50.1%

T4T They asked this question as a trap so that they could accuse him. If he said that they should not kill her, they would shame him for disobeying the law of Moses. If he said that they should kill her, they could accuse him to the Roman governor.
¶ But Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger.

LEB (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion[fn] to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write[fn] with his[fn] finger on the ground, taking no notice.[fn]

8:6 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

8:6 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to write”)

8:6 *Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

8:6 Some manuscripts omit “taking no notice”

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.

Moff (They said this to test him, in order to get a charge against him.) Jesus stooped down, and began to write with his finger on the ground;

Wymth They asked this in order to put Him to the test, so that they might have some charge to bring against Him. But Jesus leant forward and began to write with His finger on the ground.

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.

DRA And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger 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,

Drby 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.

RV And this they said, tempting him, that they might have whereof to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

SLT And this said they, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, wrote with his fingers upon the earth.

Wbstr 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 .

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 This they said, tempting him, that they might haue to accuse him. But Iesus stouped downe, and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps This they sayde to tempte hym, that they myght accuse hym. But Iesus stowped downe, and with his fynger wrote on the grounde.
(This they said to tempt him, that they might accuse him. But Yesus/Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.)

Gnva And this they saide to tempt him, that they might haue, whereof to accuse him. But Iesus stouped downe, and with his finger wrote on the groud.
(And this they said to tempt him, that they might have, whereof to accuse him. But Yesus/Yeshua stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. )

Cvdl This they sayde, to tempte him, that they might haue wherof to accuse him. But Iesus stouped downe, and wrote with his fynger vpo the grounde.
(This they said, to tempt him, that they might have whereof to accuse him. But Yesus/Yeshua stooped down, and wrote with his finger upon the ground.)

TNT And this they sayde to tempt him: that they myght have wherof to accuse him. Iesus stouped doune and with his fynger wrote on the grounde.
(And this they said to tempt him: that they might have whereof to accuse him. Yesus/Yeshua stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. )

Wycl And thei seiden this thing temptynge hym, that thei myyten accuse hym. And Jhesus bowide hym silf doun, and wroot with his fyngur in the erthe.
(And they said this thing tempting him, that they might accuse him. And Yhesus bowed himself down, and wrote with his finger in the earth.)

Luth Das sprachen sie aber, ihn zu versuchen, auf daß sie eine Sache wider ihn hätten. Aber JEsus bückete sich nieder und schrieb mit dem Finger auf die Erde.
(The said they/she/them but, him/it to/for attempt/try, on/in/to that they/she/them a/one matter against him/it would_have. But Yesus bridge/bend_overte itself/yourself/themselves low/lowly and wrote with to_him finger on/in/to the earth/land/ground.)

ClVg Hoc autem dicebant tentantes eum, ut possent accusare eum. Jesus autem inclinans se deorsum, digito scribebat in terra.[fn]
(This however they_said tempting him, as they_could accusare him. Yesus however incline/leanns himself down, finger scribebat in/into/on earth/land. )

8.6 Jesus autem inclinans se deorsum. Quid scriberet in terra, sive verba illorum, sive quid aliud, non est diffinitum, secundum quod se inclinat, et digito scribit. Docet tamen ut antequam judicium fiat, nos debere inclinare, id est, condescendere in judicio aut faciendo uti discretione.

8.6 Yesus however incline/leanns himself down. What scriberet in/into/on earth/land, if/or words of_them, if/or what something_else, not/no it_is diffinitum, after/second that himself incline/leant, and finger writes. Teaches nevertheless as before judgement fiat, us to_have_to incline/leanre, that it_is, conto_descend in/into/on judgement or doing to_use discretione.

UGNT Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κάτω κύψας τῷ δακτύλῳ κατέγραφεν εἰς τὴν γῆν.
(Ho de Yaʸsous katō kupsas tōi daktulōi kategrafen eis taʸn gaʸn.)

SBL-GNT No SBL-GNT YHN (JHN) 8:6 verse available

RP-GNT Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγον πειράζοντες αὐτόν, ἵνα ἔχωσιν κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κάτω κύψας, τῷ δακτύλῳ ἔγραφεν εἰς τὴν γῆν, μὴ προσποιούμενος.
(Touto de elegon peirazontes auton, hina eⱪōsin kataʸgorein autou. Ho de Yaʸsous katō kupsas, tōi daktulōi egrafen eis taʸn gaʸn, maʸ prospoioumenos.)

TC-GNT Τοῦτο δὲ [fn]ἔλεγον [fn]πειράζοντες αὐτόν, ἵνα [fn]ἔχωσι [fn]κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κάτω κύψας, [fn]τῷ δακτύλῳ [fn]ἔγραφεν εἰς τὴν γῆν, [fn]μὴ προσποιούμενος.
(Touto de elegon peirazontes auton, hina eⱪōsi kataʸgorein autou. Ho de Yaʸsous katō kupsas, tōi daktulōi egrafen eis taʸn gaʸn, maʸ prospoioumenos. )

8:6 ελεγον μ^1,3,4,5,6,7 73.9% ¦ ειπον μ² λ^1,2 ANT 23.5%

8:6 πειραζοντες αυτον μ^1,3,4,5,6,7 73.5% ¦ εκπειραζοντες αυτον μ² λ^1,2 ANT 21%

8:6 εχωσι μ^4,5,6,7 71.4% ¦ σχωσι μ^2,3 λ^1,2 ANT 24% ¦ ευρωσι μ¹ 1.5%

8:6 κατηγορειν μ^1,5 21.9% ¦ κατηγοριαν κατ μ^2,3,4,6,7 λ¹ ANT HF PCK 67.1% ¦ κατηγοριαν λ² 6.1%

8:6 τω δακτυλω μ^{1,2,3,4+,5,6,7} λ^1,2 96.1% ¦ — μ⁴⁻ 1.6%

8:6 εγραφεν μ^{1,3,4,5−,6,7} λ^1,2 84.2% ¦ κατεγραφεν μ^2,5+ NA WH 12.9%

8:6 μη προσποιουμενος μ^1,5,7 46.4% ¦ — μ^2,3,4,6 λ^1,2 ANT HF NA ST WH 50.1%

SOTN 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.)

8:6a

They said this to test Him,

The men were using this question to trap Jesus,
The religious leaders asked Jesus this trick question

They said this to test Him: The pronoun They refers to the religious leaders who had brought the woman to Jesus.

The religious leaders wanted Jesus to say something that would cause trouble for him. The Law of Moses said that both the woman and the man must die. However, the Roman government then did not allow the Jews to execute (punish by killing) anyone without permission.See John 18:31–32. So if Jesus said that the woman must die, the religious leaders could accuse him of disobeying Roman law. If Jesus said that she should not die, then they could accuse him of disobeying the Law of Moses.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

They were using this question as a trap (NIV)

They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him (CEV)

They were asking this to trick Jesus (NCV)

8:6b

in order to have a basis for accusing Him.

in order to obtain evidence for accusing him.
so they could accuse him of speaking against the law.

in order to have a basis for accusing Him: The Greek word that the BSB translated as basis means “to accuse someone, possibly in a law court.” The leaders wanted a reason, or excuse, to accuse Jesus of saying something wrong. They wanted to be able to accuse him of speaking against either the law of Moses or Roman law.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

so that they might have some charge to bring against him (NRSV)

they wanted to…bring some charge against him (CEV)

General Comment on 8:6a–b

In some languages it may be necessary to explain what the religious leaders hoped to do. They hoped to force Jesus to say something that they could use to accuse him. For example:

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him. (NLT)

Paragraph 8:6c–9

Jesus did not at first answer the people who asked him about the sinful woman. He bent down and wrote something in the sand. Then he said that the person who had not sinned could throw the first stone. Beginning with the oldest, each of those who accused the woman left her. They knew that they too had sinned.

8:6c

But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.

¶ But Jesus, he bent over and using his finger he wrote on the ground.
¶ However, Jesus leaned forward and began to write in the dirt with his finger.

But: In the Greek text this verse connects to the previous verse with a conjunction that the BSB translates literally as But. It indicates here that something happened that was not expected. The religious leaders asked a question, but rather than answer it as we would expect, Jesus did not answer it. Instead he wrote on the ground.

Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus bent down and began to write: Jesus was sitting down and he bent over so he could write on the ground. This implies that he did not look at the religious leaders. He seemed to ignore them.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

Jesus, bending over, wrote

on the ground with His finger: The Greek phrase that BSB translates as on the ground with His finger indicates that Jesus used his finger to make letters on the ground. Use the expression that is natural in your language. For example:

in the dust with his finger (NLT)