John 8:5 (KJV)

Passage

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

Nearby Context

John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

John 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

John 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "moses", "commanded", "such", "should", "stoned", "sayest", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "moses" and "commanded", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "They say unto him Master this woman..." into verse 6's "This they said tempting him that they...", so "moses" and "commanded" 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 "moses" and "commanded" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.