John 8:8
New International Version
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

New Living Translation
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

English Standard Version
And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.

Berean Standard Bible
And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

Berean Literal Bible
And again having stooped down, He continued to write on the ground.

King James Bible
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

New King James Version
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

New American Standard Bible
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

NASB 1995
Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

NASB 1977
And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Legacy Standard Bible
Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

Amplified Bible
Then He stooped down again and started writing on the ground.

Christian Standard Bible
Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.

American Standard Version
And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

Contemporary English Version
Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground.

English Revised Version
And again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.

Good News Translation
Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

International Standard Version
Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.

Majority Standard Bible
And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

NET Bible
Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

New Heart English Bible
Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

Webster's Bible Translation
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Weymouth New Testament
Then He leant forward again, and again began to write on the ground.

World English Bible
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and again having stooped down, He was writing on the ground,

Berean Literal Bible
And again having stooped down, He continued to write on the ground.

Young's Literal Translation
and again having stooped down, he was writing on the ground,

Smith's Literal Translation
And again having stooped down, he wrote upon the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And bending down again, he wrote on the earth.

New American Bible
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

New Revised Standard Version
And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And again as he bent down, he wrote on the ground.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And stooping down again, he wrote on the ground.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

Godbey New Testament


Haweis New Testament
And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground.

Mace New Testament
then stooping down again, he wrote on the ground.

Weymouth New Testament
Then He leant forward again, and again began to write on the ground.

Worrell New Testament
And, again stooping down, He was writing with His finger on the ground.

Worsley New Testament
Then He stooped down again and wrote on the ground.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Woman Caught in Adultery
7When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8And again He bent down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 17:13
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water.

Exodus 31:18
When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Deuteronomy 9:10
Then the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by the finger of God with the exact words that the LORD spoke to you out of the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly.

Daniel 5:5
At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,

Exodus 32:15-16
Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. / The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

Matthew 5:17-18
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. / For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Romans 2:1-3
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. / And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. / So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

James 2:10-11
Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. / For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. / For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. / Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? ...

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

1 John 1:8-10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

Psalm 90:8
You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

Isaiah 29:15
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”

Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. / Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.


Treasury of Scripture

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Jump to Previous
Bent Finger Floor Forward Ground Head Leant Once Stooped Stooping Write Writing Wrote
Jump to Next
Bent Finger Floor Forward Ground Head Leant Once Stooped Stooping Write Writing Wrote
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.














And again
This phrase indicates a repeated action, emphasizing the patience and deliberation of Jesus. In the Greek, "πάλιν" (palin) suggests a purposeful return to a previous action. This repetition underscores the importance of what Jesus is doing. It reflects His calm and composed demeanor amidst the chaos and accusations from the Pharisees. Historically, this repetition can be seen as a teaching moment, where Jesus is not rushed by the demands of others but takes His time to convey a deeper truth.

He bent down
The act of bending down is significant. In Greek, "κατέκυψεν" (katekypsen) implies a humble posture. Jesus, the Son of God, assumes a position of humility, which contrasts with the pride and arrogance of the accusers. This physical act can be seen as a metaphor for His incarnation—God bending down to humanity. It also reflects His willingness to engage with the earthiness of human life, symbolizing His empathy and understanding.

and wrote
The Greek word "ἔγραφεν" (egrapsen) is used here, which means to write. The act of writing in the dust is mysterious and has been the subject of much speculation. Some scholars suggest that Jesus was writing the sins of the accusers, while others propose He was fulfilling a prophetic act. The act of writing, especially in the context of the Law, suggests authority. Jesus, by writing, asserts His authority over the Law and its interpretation.

on the ground
The ground, or "γῆ" (ge) in Greek, is symbolic of the earth and humanity. Writing on the ground can be seen as a symbolic act of connecting divine truth with human reality. In the context of the narrative, the ground represents the temporal and transient nature of human judgment compared to the eternal and unchanging nature of divine judgment. Archaeologically, writing on the ground was not uncommon in ancient times, often used for temporary messages. This act by Jesus could symbolize the temporary nature of the accusations against the woman, in contrast to the eternal forgiveness He offers.

(8) And wrote on the ground.--The Cambridge MS. inserts, "with His finger," as in John 8:6. The repeated action repeats His determination to avoid the office of judge. He has answered them, and He leaves His answer to do its work. There is a law written in their hearts, and this, while He now writes on the ground, is convicting them.

There is a strange addition at the end of the verse, in one of the older MSS. of this section, showing how men have tried to give a definite meaning to the action of writing. It reads, "and wrote on the ground the sin of each one of them."



Parallel Commentaries ...


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

again
πάλιν (palin)
Adverb
Strong's 3825: Probably from the same as pale; anew, i.e. back, once more, or furthermore or on the other hand.

He bent down
κάτω¦κύψας (katō¦kypsas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2955: To bend, stoop down, bow the head. Probably from the base of kuma; to bend forward.

[and] wrote
ἔγραφεν (egraphen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

on
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

ground.
γῆν (gēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.


Links
John 8:8 NIV
John 8:8 NLT
John 8:8 ESV
John 8:8 NASB
John 8:8 KJV

John 8:8 BibleApps.com
John 8:8 Biblia Paralela
John 8:8 Chinese Bible
John 8:8 French Bible
John 8:8 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: John 8:8 Again he stooped down and with his (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 8:7
Top of Page
Top of Page