The Woman Caught in Adultery

John 8:7

Why translations differ here

The woman caught in adultery: part of John? The story of the woman caught in adultery is accepted as Scripture by the Catholic Church, printed in the Orthodox Church's Greek text and in Protestant Bibles, and has been read in worship since at least the fifth century; scholars of every tradition call it a genuinely ancient story about Jesus.

In 9 translations

BSB: When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
KJV: 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.
WEB: But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”
ASV: But 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.
LSV: and when they continued asking Him, having bent Himself back, He said to them, “The sinless of you—let him cast the first stone at her”;
YLT: and when they continued asking him, having bent himself back, he said unto them, 'The sinless of you — let him first cast the stone at her;'
DBY: 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.
DRC: 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.
GNV: And while they continued asking him, hee lift himselfe vp, and sayde vnto them, Let him that is among you without sinne, cast the first stone at her.

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include ὡς δὲ ἐπέμενον ἐρωτῶντες αὐτόν (“As however they were continuing asking Him”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles do not include this wording.
Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read ἀνακύψας (“having stood up”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort read ἀνέκυψεν (“he stood up”).
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include εἶπεν (“He said”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles do not include this wording.
In STEPBible’s comparison, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include πρὸς (“to”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles do not include this wording.
Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read αὐτούς (“them”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort read αὐτοῖς (“to them”).
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν (“The [one] sinless among you”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles do not include this wording.
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus read πρῶτος (“[the] first”); Byzantine text read πρῶτον (“first”).
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν (“at her”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles do not include this wording.
In STEPBible’s comparison, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include τὸν (“the”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles do not include this wording.
In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text include βαλέτω λίθον (“he should cast stone”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles do not include this wording.

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort include καὶ (“also”); SBLGNT (2010), Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text do not include this wording.
Word order: Textus Receptus, Byzantine text place λίθον elsewhere in this verse.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: ὡς δὲ ἐπέμενον ἐρωτῶντες αὐτόν, ἀνακύψας εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν, πρῶτον ἐπʼ αὐτὴν τὸν λίθον βαλέτω.
RP2018: Ὡς δὲ ἐπέμενον ἐρωτῶντες αὐτόν, ἀνακύψας εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν, πρῶτον ἐπ’ αὐτὴν τὸν λίθον βαλέτω.
TR-Boyd: Ὡς δὲ ἐπέμενον ἐρωτῶντες αὐτόν, ἀνακύψας εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν, πρῶτος τὸν λίθον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ βαλέτω.
SCR1894: ως δε επεμενον ερωτωντες αυτον ανακυψας ειπεν προς αυτους ο αναμαρτητος υμων πρωτος τον λιθον επ αυτη βαλετω

Who and where

◆ Woman Caught in Adultery

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Adultery Punishments Criticism of the Bible Ostraca Purity Pharisees Uncharitableness Literature, Sub-Apostolic Harlot Text and Manuscripts of the New Testament

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Matthew 7:1–5“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail…
Romans 2:21–25you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law,…
Romans 2:1–3You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. And we know that God’s…
Matthew 23:25–28Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that…
Deuteronomy 17:6–7On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after…
Hebrews 4:12–13For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation…
Colossians 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Psalms 50:16–20To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips? For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you befriend him, and…
Revelation 2:16Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
Proverbs 26:4–5Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
1 Corinthians 14:24–25But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all, and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and…
Revelation 19:15And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Jeremiah 23:29“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”
Revelation 1:16He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
Proverbs 12:18Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
John 7:46“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).