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λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, πειράζοντες, Διδάσκαλε, αὕτη ἡ γυνὴ κατελήφθη ἐπ᾽ αὐτοφόρῳ μοιχευομένη.
RBT Greek Interlinear:
Strongs 3004  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
legousin
λέγουσιν
say
V-PIA-3P
Strongs 846  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
autō
αὐτῷ
to himself
PPro-DM3S
Strongs 1320  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Didaskale
Διδάσκαλε
Teacher
N-VMS
Strongs 3778  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hautē
αὕτη
she
DPro-NFS
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus


the
Art-NFS
Strongs 1135  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gynē
γυνὴ
woman
N-NFS
Strongs 2638  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kateilēptai
κατείληπται*
was caught
V-RIM/P-3S
Strongs 1909  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
ep’
ἐπ’*
upon
Prep
Strongs 1888  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
autophōrō
αυτοφώρῳ*
self-observation
Adj-DNS
Strongs 3431  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
moicheuomenē
μοιχευομένη
she who is committing adultery
V-PPM/P-NFS
RBT Hebrew Literal:
αὐτο-φώρᾱτος - self betrayed/self Exposed
They are saying to himself, "Teacher, herself, the Woman, was overtaken upon self-betrayal, she who commits adultery.80a
Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
They say to him, Teacher, this woman was taken committing adultery, in the very act.
LITV Translation:
they said to Him, Teacher, this woman was taken in the very act, committing adultery.
ESV Translation:
they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.

Footnotes

80a

The word "ἐπαυτοφώρῳ" (epautophōrō) occurs only once here in the NT. Generally when a special word shows up in the NT there is a really good reason for it. 

  1. "ἐπί" (epi): A preposition meaning "upon" or "in."

  2. "αὐτόφωρος" (autopōros): An adjective derived from "αὐτό" (auto), meaning "self," and "φωρός" (phōros), meaning "watching" or "observation." "ἐπαυτοφώρῳ" (epautophōrō) functions as an adverbial form of "αὐτόφωρος" (autopōros).

So, "ἐπαυτοφώρῳ" (epautophōrō) means "upon oneself being caught" or "caught in the act by oneself," indicating that the action described happened while the subject was directly observed or caught in the act.

The literal translations of "ἐπαυτοφώρῳ" (epautophōrō) are:

  1. Upon self-observation.
  2. Caught by oneself.
  3. Self-caught.
  4. Caught in the act by oneself.
  5. Caught red-handed by oneself.