| Scripture |
Additional Comments |
| 1 But Jesus went to the mount of Olives. |
According to Professor Tischendorf's Notes, Verses 1-11 are spurious. Nevertheless very many translations contain these verses. According to the law when people were caught in adultery they were to be put to death by stoning (Lev. 20:10). However, for the death penalty, it must be established by two or three witnesses (Deut.17:6; 19:15). The LORD added responsibility to the witnesses in that they were to be the ones who cast the first stones. (Deut. 17:7 "The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.") What our Lord did here is remarkable indeed. Not only did he, by his remark to the witnesses "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone," cause all to leave her alone, but his grasp of the law insured that He was not in a position to condemn her either. Since Jesus did not witness the act and the law required the witnesses to be the first to take action to put her to death and afterward all the people, Jesus, therefore was not in a position to take action against her. |
| 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down and taught them. |
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| 3 And the scribes and the Pharisees bring to him a woman taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst, |
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| 4 they say to him, Teacher, this woman has been taken in the very act, committing adultery. |
It is interesting to note that under the Law, both the man and the woman were to be put to death. Since the scribes and Pharisees claimed she was caught "in the very act," it would appear that they themselves were in violation of the Law because they did not bring the man also. Lev. 20:10 |
| 5 Now in the law Moses has commanded us to stone such; thou therefore, what sayest thou? |
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| 6 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. |
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| 7 But when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said to them, Let him that is without sin among you first cast the stone at her.
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| 8 And again stooping down he wrote on the ground. |
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| 9 But they, having heard that, went out one by one beginning from the elder ones until the last; and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing there. |
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| 10 And Jesus, lifting himself up and seeing no one but the woman, said to her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Has no one condemned thee?
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Where are those thine accusers – Jesus here makes reference to the Law (Deut. 17:6) that no one could be put to death except by the mouth of two or three witnesses. |
| 11 And she said, No one, sir. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
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Neither do I condemn thee – Jesus again is referring to the same part of the Law (Deut. 17:7) which declares that the witnesses must be the first to take physical action against those to be put to death, and afterward the rest of the people. Since the witnesses had left, and they had to cast the first stones, it would have been a violation of the Law for Jesus (or anyone else) to take action to put her to death. |
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| 12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
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| 13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, Thou bearest witness concerning thyself; thy witness is not true. |
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| 14 Jesus answered and said to them, Even if I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is true, because I know whence I came and whither I go: but ye know not whence I come and whither I go.
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| 15 Ye judge according to the flesh, I judge no one.
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| 16 And if also I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who has sent me.
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| 17 And in your law too it is written that the testimony of two men is true:
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| 18 I am one who bear witness concerning myself, and the Father who has sent me bears witness concerning me.
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| 19 They said to him therefore, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father.
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| 20 These words spoke he in the treasury, teaching in the temple; and no one took him, for his hour was not yet come. |
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| 21 He said therefore again to them, I go away, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sin; where I go ye cannot come.
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| 22 The Jews therefore said, Will he kill himself, that he says, Where I go ye cannot come? |
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| 23 And he said to them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above. Ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
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| 24 I said therefore to you, that ye shall die in your sins; for unless ye shall believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
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| 25 They said therefore to him, Who art thou? And Jesus said to them, Altogether that which I also say to you.
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| 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but he that has sent me is true, and I, what I have heard from him, these things I say to the world.
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| 27 They knew not that he spoke to them of the Father. |
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| 28 Jesus therefore said to them, When ye shall have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me I speak these things.
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| 29 And he that has sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I do always the things that are pleasing to him.
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| 30 As he spoke these things many believed on him. |
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| 31 Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples;
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| 32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
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| 33 They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been under bondage to any one; how sayest thou, Ye shall become free? |
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| 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Every one that practises sin is the bondman of sin.
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| 35 Now the bondman abides not in the house for ever: the son abides for ever.
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| 36 If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free.
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| 37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word has no entrance in you.
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| 38 I speak what I have seen with my Father, and ye then do what ye have seen with your father.
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| 39 They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham;
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| 40 but now ye seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you, which I have heard from God: this did not Abraham.
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| 41 Ye do the works of your father.
They said therefore to him, We are not born of fornication; we have one father, God. |
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| 42 Jesus said to them, If God were your father ye would have loved me, for I came forth from God and am come from him; for neither am I come of myself, but *he* has sent me.
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| 43 Why do ye not know my speech? Because ye cannot hear my word.
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| 44 Ye are of the devil, as your father, and ye desire to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks falsehood, he speaks of what is his own; for he is a liar and its father:
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| 45 and because I speak the truth, ye do not believe me.
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| 46 Which of you convinces me of sin? If I speak truth, why do ye not believe me?
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| 47 He that is of God hears the words of God: therefore ye hear them not, because ye are not of God.
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| 48 The Jews answered and said to him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon? |
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| 49 Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me.
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| 50 But I do not seek my own glory: there is he that seeks and judges.
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| 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If any one shall keep my word, he shall never see death.
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| 52 The Jews therefore said to him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham has died, and the prophets, and thou sayest, If any one keep my word, he shall never taste death. |
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| 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who has died? and the prophets have died: whom makest thou thyself? |
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| 54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom ye say, He is our God.
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| 55 And ye know him not; but I know him; and if I said, I know him not, I should be like you, a liar. But I know him, and I keep his word.
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| 56 Your father Abraham exulted in that he should see my day, and he saw and rejoiced.
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| 57 The Jews therefore said to him, Thou hast not yet fifty years, and hast thou seen Abraham? |
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| 58 Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
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| 59 They took up therefore stones that they might cast them at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and thus passed on. |
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