John 8:6 (DBY)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

John 8:4 they say to him, Teacher, this woman has been taken in the very act, committing adultery.

John 8:5 Now in the law Moses has commanded us to stone such; thou therefore, what sayest thou?

John 8:6 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.

John 8:7 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.

John 8:8 And again stooping down he wrote on the ground.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "proving", "might", "something", "accuse", "jesus", "having", and "stooped". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "proving", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Now in the law Moses has commanded..." into verse 7's "But when they continued asking him he...", so "said" and "proving" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "proving" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.