What Does John 8:59 Mean in the King James?
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The stones define the crowd’s intent, but concealment opens a way through its midst.
THE MEANING
The threatened one is hidden from violence and still moves through its midst; concealment and passage belong to one movement. Danger fills the sacred place, but it does not determine where the story ends.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Being surrounded means every exit is closed. The way out can run through the very midst of the crowd.
THE ROOT
ἐκρύβη
ekrybē
GROWS FROM
κρυπ-/κρυβ-
κρυπ- (krypt-) / κρυβ- (kryb-): hide, conceal; the stem alternates in this form.
“hid himself” in this verse is ekrybē. The verse’s form belongs to the verb for hiding, with the stem appearing as κρυβ- here and κρυπ- in related words. This family names both what is hidden and the act of hiding away, so concealment is part of the movement through danger.
ALSO GROWS
kryptos: hidden, concealed
κρυπτός
This branch names the state produced by the same root: what is hidden from view.
apokryptō: hide away, conceal
ἀποκρύπτω
The compound keeps the same κρυπ- root and makes the act of concealment explicit.
THE PATTERN
A threat may surround the path, yet passage can open through the very place that appears to enclose it.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.THE THREAD
Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,The Greek verb ἐξέρχομαι (exerchomai, “go out”) appears in both verses as ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen, “went out”). John 10:39 makes explicit the threat that John 8:59 shows through raised stones: those who seek to seize him do not hold him.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
You can read any verse this way in the app, keep it as a card, and send it on.
A Bible app where you send verses from your keyboard and in Messages, and every verse has a Deep Dive.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us