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John 8:4

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

KJV

λεγουσιν αυτω εκπειραζοντες αυτον οι ιερεις, ινα εχωσιν κατηγορειαν αυτου· διδασκαλε, αυτη η γυνη κατειληπται επαυτοφωρω μοιχευομενη. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· διδάσκαλε, αὕτη ἡ γυνὴ κατειλήφθη ἐπαυτοφώρῳ μοιχευομένη.

Greek NT

et dixerunt ei : Magister, hæc mulier modo deprehensa est in adulterio.

Vulgate

they say unto him, Teacher, this woman hath been taken in adultery, in the very act.

ASV

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

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

14 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γυνή
gune
noun · 219×
διδάσκαλος
didaskalos
noun · 60×
καταλαμβάνω
katalambano
verb · 17×
κατηγορία
kategoria
noun · 4×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
μοιχεύω
moicheuo
verb · 16×
οὗτος
outos
demonstrative · 1380×
ἐκπειράζω
ekpeirazo
verb · 6×
ἐπαυτοφώρῳ
epautophoro
adverb · 2×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ἱερεύς
iereus
noun · 33×
ἵνα
ina
conjunction · 665×
o
article · 19778×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

major
The Pericope Adulterae (the woman caught in adultery). This passage is absent from all early Greek papyri and the oldest uncial manuscripts. Its vocabulary and style differ from the rest of John. Many scholars believe it is an authentic tradition about Jesus that was inserted into John at a later date. Some manuscripts place it after John 21:25, after Luke 21:38, or after John 7:36.
  • John 7:52 flows directly into John 8:12 without this passage.P66; P75; Codex Sinaiticus (01/ℵ); Codex Vaticanus (03/B); Codex Alexandrinus (02/A); Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (04/C); Codex Washingtonianus (032/W); Many Old Latin MSS; Oldest Syriac MSS
  • Ἐπορεύθησαν ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ...Codex Bezae (05/D); Majority of Byzantine MSS (from 9th century onward); Vulgate; Didascalia Apostolorum
  • Same passage relocated to the end of John's Gospel.Family 1 (f¹); Minuscule 1; Minuscule 1582
  • Same passage relocated to Luke's Gospel after Jesus' teaching in the temple.Family 13 (f¹³); Minuscule 13; Minuscule 69
source: curated

Historic Christian voices

2 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Cross-references

  • Deut 22:22 — If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
  • Lev 20:10 — And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
  • Matt 1:19 — Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.