Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.
Parallel translations
- KJV Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
- BSB At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
- NKJV Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
- NASB Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.
- NLT At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Understanding his claim to deity, they pick up stones to kill him for blasphemy, but Jesus withdraws from the temple. His hour had not yet come.
Overview
The crowd recognizes Jesus' claim as a declaration of deity and reacts with an attempt to stone him for blasphemy. Yet Jesus is mysteriously hidden and departs, since the time of his death was not yet at hand. The episode confirms both the meaning of his "I AM" and the sovereign control he exercised over his own passion.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- John 11:8The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”
- John 10:39–40They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.
- John 10:30–33I and the Father are one.”
- Lev 24:16He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
- Luke 4:29–30They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.
- Luke 24:31Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.
- John 11:54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.
- John 12:36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
- John 5:13But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.
- Gen 19:11They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
- 2 Kgs 6:18–20When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elishah’s word.
- Acts 7:57But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
- John 18:31Pilate therefore said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”
- Acts 8:39–40When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
- John 8:5–6Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 8:59 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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