John 8:17

“And in your law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.”

John 8:17 · direct translation from the Greek
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With the Greek beneath

17

Quotation · Deuteronomy 19:15

Go to Deuteronomy 19:15

Jesus sums up in indirect speech the rule of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).

Formula: ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται ὅτι “in your law it is written that” (John 8:17)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται ὅτι δύο ἀνθρώπων ἡ μαρτυρία ἀληθής ἐστιν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֺן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 19:15 in the Septuagint numbering): Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, no two consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

John 8:17, word by word

yourὑμετέρῳhymeterōi

your, yours

Your, yours (of several people).

Where else “hymeterōi” appears
lawνόμῳnomōi

law

The instructions God gave Israel through Moses; also, the whole of Scripture.

Where else “nomōi” appears
it is writtenγέγραπταιgegraptai

it is written

So the Bible says; a passage is quoted.

Where else “gegraptai” appears
the testimonyμαρτυρίαmartyria

testimony

Testimony, witness.

Where else “martyria” appears
of twoδύοdyo

two

Two.

Where else “dyo” appears
peopleἀνθρώπωνanthrōpōn

person

A person, man or woman.

Where else “anthrōpōn” appears
isἐστινestin

be

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “estin” appears
trueἀληθήςalēthēs

true, truthful

True, truthful.

Where else “alēthēs” appears

Translation note

Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Deuteronomy 19:15

Jesus sums up in indirect speech the rule of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).

See them side by side

John 8:17

17And in your law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.

Deuteronomy 19:15

15A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.

The context

16And even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me.

17 · This verse (above)

18I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

Read all of John 8

To study John 8 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    When the woman caught in adultery is brought to him, what does Jesus say to her accusers, and what does he say to her at the end? (vv. 3-11)

  2. 2. What it means

    Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” and “the truth will set you free.” What link is there between remaining in his word and freedom? (vv. 12, 31-36)

  3. 3. How I live it

    The accusers left one by one when Jesus spoke about sin (v. 9). When is it your turn to look at yourself before pointing at others?

How to use it