Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 10:31

"The Jews took up stones again to stone him." — John 10:31 (ASV)

The verb translated “picked up” literally means “to carry.” It is doubtful whether there were any loose stones in the paved courtyard of Solomon’s Colonnade. But not far off was the temple that was in the process of being built, and certainly stones would have been readily available there. Stoning was the punishment prescribed for blasphemy in the law of Moses (Leviticus 24:16), and the opponents of Jesus were preparing for just such an execution.