Some scholars see a symbolic meaning in the mention of five men, but as far as translation is concerned it must be taken as a simple statement of fact. Although any number of marriages were legally possible, the Jewish rabbis did not approve of more than three.

You told me the truth is literally “This truth you have said.” New English Bible is similar: “You told me the truth there.” In some languages it is difficult to employ such a noun as truth, but some type of qualifying adjective is frequently used as an attributive, for example, “What you have just told me is true” or “The words that you have just spoken to me are true.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .