In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”
Parallel translations
- WEB Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”
- KJV Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
- NKJV Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
- NASB Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”
- NLT The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
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
They cite Moses' command to stone such women and ask what Jesus says. They set a trap between upholding the law and showing mercy.
Overview
By invoking the Mosaic penalty, the leaders try to force Jesus either to contradict the law or to abandon His reputation for compassion. The dilemma is designed to discredit Him whichever way He answers. Jesus' coming response will uphold both the seriousness of sin and the offer of mercy, exposing the accusers' own guilt.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Lev 20:10If 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.
- Deut 22:21–24she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So you must purge the evil from among you.
- Ezek 16:38–40And 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.
- Matt 5:17Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
- Matt 19:6–8So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
- Matt 22:16–18They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.
- Ezek 23:47The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
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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 8:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.