John 8:59 (GNV)

Passage

Then tooke they vp stones, to cast at him, but Iesus hid himselfe, and went out of the Temple: And hee passed through the middes of them, and so went his way.

Nearby Context

John 8:57 Then sayd ye Iewes vnto him, Thou art not yet fiftie yeere olde, and hast thou seene Abraham?

John 8:58 Iesus sayd vnto them, Verely, verely I say vnto you, before Abraham was, I am.

John 8:59 Then tooke they vp stones, to cast at him, but Iesus hid himselfe, and went out of the Temple: And hee passed through the middes of them, and so went his way.

Study Lenses

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

The prior verse says "Iesus sayd vnto them Verely verely I...", giving immediate footing for "tooke" 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 "tooke" and "stones" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.