John 8:3
New International Version
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group

New Living Translation
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

English Standard Version
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst

Berean Standard Bible
The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them

Berean Literal Bible
Now the scribes and the Pharisees bring to Him a woman having been caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

King James Bible
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

New King James Version
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,

New American Standard Bible
Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard,

NASB 1995
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,

NASB 1977
And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

Legacy Standard Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,

Amplified Bible
Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court,

Christian Standard Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “

American Standard Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst,

Contemporary English Version
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. They made her stand in the middle of the crowd.

English Revised Version
And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone

Good News Translation
The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all.

International Standard Version
But the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. After setting her before them,

Majority Standard Bible
The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them

NET Bible
The experts in the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them

New Heart English Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery: and when they had set her in the midst,

Weymouth New Testament
and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him.

World English Bible
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the scribes and the Pharisees bring to Him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

Berean Literal Bible
Now the scribes and the Pharisees bring to Him a woman having been caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

Young's Literal Translation
and the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the scribes and Pharisees brought him a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now the scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman caught in adultery, and they stood her in front of them.

New American Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

New Revised Standard Version
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery; and they made her to stand in the midst.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But the Scribes and the Pharisees brought a women who had been seized in adultery, and when they stood her in the midst,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been detected in adultery; and they made her stand in the midst,

Godbey New Testament


Haweis New Testament
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery; and placing her in the midst,

Mace New Testament
then the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman surprized in adultery; and when they had set her in the middle of the assembly,

Weymouth New Testament
and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him.

Worrell New Testament
And the scribes and the Pharisees bring to Him a woman taken in adultery; and, having placed her in the midst,

Worsley New Testament
And the scribes and pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Woman Caught in Adultery
2Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them. 3The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them 4and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.…

Cross References
Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 19:3-9
Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” / Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? ...

Mark 10:2-12
Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired. / “What did Moses command you?” He replied. / They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.” ...

Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. / And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

Hosea 4:14
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

Jeremiah 7:9
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,

Ezekiel 16:38
And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.


Treasury of Scripture

And the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the middle,

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Act Adultery Case Caught Center Centre Committing Court Found Group Law Married Midst Pharisees Placing Relation Scribes Sinning Stand Teachers Teaching
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John 8
1. Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery.
12. He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;
31. promises freedom to those who believe;
33. answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;
48. answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;
59. and slips away from those who would stone him.














The scribes and Pharisees
This phrase refers to two prominent groups within Jewish society during the time of Jesus. The scribes were experts in the Mosaic Law, often serving as teachers and interpreters of the Scriptures. The Pharisees were a religious sect known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions. Historically, these groups held significant influence over religious and social matters. Their involvement in this narrative highlights the tension between Jesus and the religious authorities, who often sought to challenge His teachings and authority.

brought to Him
The act of bringing the woman to Jesus is significant. It demonstrates the scribes and Pharisees' intention to test Jesus, hoping to trap Him in a legal or theological dilemma. The Greek word used here, "ἤγαγον" (ēgagon), implies a forceful or authoritative action, suggesting that the woman was brought against her will. This reflects the power dynamics at play and the lack of compassion shown by the religious leaders.

a woman caught in adultery
The focus on the woman's sin of adultery is central to the narrative. Adultery was a serious offense under Jewish law, punishable by death according to Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22. The Greek term for "caught" (κατειλημμένην, kateilēmmenēn) indicates that she was seized or apprehended, emphasizing the public and humiliating nature of her exposure. This situation raises questions about justice and mercy, as the man involved in the act is conspicuously absent from the proceedings.

They made her stand before them
This phrase underscores the public and humiliating nature of the situation. The woman is placed in a position of vulnerability and shame, standing before her accusers and the gathered crowd. The Greek word "ἔστησαν" (estēsan) suggests a deliberate positioning, highlighting the intention of the scribes and Pharisees to use her as a tool in their confrontation with Jesus. This act of making her stand before them contrasts with the compassion and dignity that Jesus often extended to those marginalized by society.

(3) And the scribes and Pharisees . . .--This is the common phrase of the earlier Gospels, but "the scribes" are never named by St. John. His word to denote the hierarchy in their opposition to Christ is "the Jews." (See Note on John 1:19.)

Verse 3. - And the scribes and Pharisees are bringing - dragging by main force - (to him) a woman taken in adultery; and, having caused her - forced her, notwithstanding the hideous shame of her discovery - to stand in the midst, they say unto him, Master. The "scribes" are not elsewhere referred to in John's Gospel, although the phrase, "scribes and Pharisees," is very frequently used in the synoptic Gospels for the opponents of our Lord and the subjects of his invective. They come together in the final scenes as combining to thwart and tempt him. John refers to "Pharisees" twenty times, and four times in connection with the "priests;" but never with the "scribes." The scribes are elsewhere in the New Testament spoken of as νομικοί or νομοδιδάσκαλοι, and also as "rabbis" in the Mishna. The scribes and Pharisees are no deputation from the Sanhedrin, nor are they representatives of the party of Zealots, as some have pretended. There is no indication of any mere sectional animosity or of any genuine desire to receive an authoritative or prophetic response to their inquiry. The Sanhedrin itself would certainly not have condescended at this epoch to have submitted any question of its own action to the arbitrament of Jesus. Numerous witnesses of the act of adultery are inconceivable, though in the excitement and confusion of the Feast of Tabernacles in a crowded city and suburbs, this may have been more feasible than might otherwise be supposed. The probability is that the act was undeniably committed in such a way as to bring this woman under the cognizance of these reformers or defenders of the theocracy who cropped up on all sides, and that a group of bigots scow at once that capital might be made for their antagonism to Jesus by proposing to him a query which would, however it might be answered, lower his prestige. According to ver. 10 (omitted in Codex B), these scribes and Pharisees were, if not the "witnesses" of adultery, the "accusers" ready to take the case before the highest court. Considering the long desuetude of the Law, and the impossibility of even the Sanhedrin legally inflicting the penalty of stoning, even if it were so disposed, the whole question looks like a subtle but ill-considered plot to entangle the Lord in his judgments, and to induce him to sacrifice his influence with the people. The absence of the guilty man is noteworthy (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: From gramma. A writer, i.e. scribe or secretary.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Pharisees,
Φαρισαῖοι (Pharisaioi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

however,
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

brought
ἄγουσιν (agousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 71: A primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, go, pass, or induce.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

a woman
γυναῖκα (gynaika)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1135: A woman, wife, my lady. Probably from the base of ginomai; a woman; specially, a wife.

caught
κατειλημμένην (kateilēmmenēn)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2638: From kata and lambano; to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc.

in
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

adultery.
μοιχείᾳ (moicheia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3430: Adultery. From moicheuo; adultery.

They made her stand
στήσαντες (stēsantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

before them
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.


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