John 8:59 (DRB)

Passage

They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Nearby Context

John 8:57 The Jews therefore said to him: Thou art not yet fifty years old. And hast thou seen Abraham?

John 8:58 Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I AM.

John 8:59 They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "took", "stones", "therefore", "cast", "jesus", "himself", "went", and "temple". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "took" and "stones", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Jesus said to them Amen amen I...", giving immediate footing for "took" and "stones". 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 "took" and "stones" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.