40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords.
40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.
40 They shall bring up a crowd against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.
40 they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords.
40 They shall also bring up an assembly against you, and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords.
40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords.
5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
5 Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?"
5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"
5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
(Read John 8:1-11)
Christ neither found fault with the law, nor excused the prisoner's guilt; nor did he countenance the pretended zeal of the Pharisees. Those are self-condemned who judge others, and yet do the same thing. All who are any way called to blame the faults of others, are especially concerned to look to themselves, and keep themselves pure. In this matter Christ attended to the great work about which he came into the world, that was, to bring sinners to repentance; not to destroy, but to save. He aimed to bring, not only the accused to repentance, by showing her his mercy, but the prosecutors also, by showing them their sins; they thought to insnare him, he sought to convince and convert them. He declined to meddle with the magistrate's office. Many crimes merit far more severe punishment than they meet with; but we should not leave our own work, to take that upon ourselves to which we are not called. When Christ sent her away, it was with this caution, Go, and sin no more. Those who help to save the life of a criminal, should help to save the soul with the same caution. Those are truly happy, whom Christ does not condemn. Christ's favour to us in the forgiveness of past sins should prevail with us, Go then, and sin no more.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 16:40
Commentary on Ezekiel 16:1-58
(Read Ezekiel 16:1-58)
In this chapter God's dealings with the Jewish nation, and their conduct towards him, are described, and their punishment through the surrounding nations, even those they most trusted in. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death, educated, espoused, and richly provided for, but afterwards guilty of the most abandoned conduct, and punished for it; yet at last received into favour, and ashamed of her base conduct. We are not to judge of these expressions by modern ideas, but by those of the times and places in which they were used, where many of them would not sound as they do to us. The design was to raise hatred to idolatry, and such a parable was well suited for that purpose.