John 8:6 (DRB)

Passage

And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground.

Nearby Context

John 8:4 And said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery.

John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou?

John 8:6 And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground.

John 8:7 When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

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

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Now Moses in the law commanded us..." into verse 7's "When therefore they continued asking him he...", so "said" and "tempting" 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 "tempting" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.