John 8:3
What does John 8:3 mean?
A plain-English look at John 8:3 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 8:3 means
The scribes and Pharisees bring in a woman caught in adultery and place her before the crowd and Jesus. Their purpose is not her restoration but a public test of Jesus. The woman, shamed and vulnerable, becomes a pawn in their strategy. The leaders, meant to uphold the Law with equity, display partiality—where is the man involved? Their method exposes their hearts: they aim to accuse, not to shepherd. By setting her “in the midst,” they make the matter a spectacle. This moment reveals how religious zeal, without love and truth, can trample the person while pretending to honor God’s law.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst,
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery; and having set her in the midst,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Now the scribes and Pharisees came, with a woman who had been taken in the act of sinning against the married relation;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the scribes and Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst,
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the scribes and the Pharisees bring [to him] a woman taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,
Context
This verse interrupts Jesus’ teaching with a dramatic, adversarial scene. It introduces the central dilemma that will occupy the next several verses: can Jesus be forced into a choice between mercy and the Mosaic Law? The public nature of the setting heightens the stakes for Jesus’ credibility. What follows will reveal both His grasp of the Law’s intent and His compassion for sinners. The interruption also becomes a living parable that prepares the way for Jesus’ later claim to be the Light of the World, exposing darkness in every heart—including accusers and accused.
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