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THE STORY OF THE ADULTERESS

(John 8: 1-11)

Exigesis

Verse 1: Then each went off to his own house, while Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives.

Many manuscripts and early translations of the Gospel of John do not have this passage.

In some Bibles, this story is in brackets

Mount of Olives: Jesus going up to the Mount of Olives echoes Luke, and some scholars

believe that the Gospel of Luke has influenced this story.

Verse 2:But at daybreak he again made his appearance in the temple precincts; and when all thepeople started coming to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

at daybreak: The Greek term for daybreakOrthrou appears also in Luke and in the Acts

of the Apostles. This verse echoes the Gospel of Luke, in particular Luke 21:38.

Verse 3: Then the scribes and the Pharisees led forward a woman who had been caught inadultery, and made her stand there in front of everybody.

the scribes and the Pharisees: This phrase is mentioned only here for the Gospel of Johnbut is more common in the Synoptic Gospels.

a woman: The woman here is a married woman because according to the law, adultery is

more concerned with the unfaithfulness of the wife. The law does not pay much attentionto relations between married men and unmarried women.

caught in adultery: The woman was caught having intercourse with another man. Based

on Deuteronomy 19:15, two witnesses besides the husband must have witnessed the actof adultery. The story does not say anything about the womans lover, who may havefled. This story parallels the tale of Susanna, one of the deuterocanonical books.

stand there in front of everybody: This is the position used for examination and judgment,as seen in Acts 4:7.

Verse 4: Teacher, they said to him, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.

Teacher: This address is more common in the Synoptic Gospels, while in John, people

usually referred to Jesus as Rabbi. Regardless of the address, the scribes were seeking

Jesus more as a prophet and not as a teacher or authority of the law

caught in the very act of adultery: As said in verse 3, the woman was caught in the veryact of sexual intercourse.

Verse 5: Now, in the Law Moses ordered that such women be stoned. But youwhat do you

have to say about it?

in the Law: The Law of Moses condemns a married or betrothed woman caught inadultery to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). However, the Romans ruled that

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the Jews should not impose capital punishment among themselves. So, the scribes and the

Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus between the Jewish law and the Roman authorities.

to be stoned: Deuteronomy 22:21 prescribes stoning as the punishment for any married or

betrothed woman who is caught having adultery. Stoning was the judgment for adultery

as witnessed during the times of Ezekiel, Daniel and Jesus.

Verse 6: (They were posing this question to trap him so that they could have something to accuse

him of.) But Jesus simply bent down and started drawing on the ground with his finger.

drawing on the ground with his finger: Scholars say that there is no definite answer on

what and why Jesus wrote on the ground. However, they offer some theories.

o Some writers propose Jeremiah 17:13, those who turn away from you shall be

written in the earth for they have forsaken the Lord.

o Another idea is that Jesus wrote the sins of the womans accusers.

o Jesus may have first written his judgment and then read it aloud. Jesus writing

with his finger parallels the hand writing on the wall in Daniel 5:24.

o Still another suggestion is that Jesus may have written the words of Exodus 23:1b.The verse reads, you shall not join hands with a wicked man (to be a malicious

witness). The italicized words fit the current situation and could be easily written

in a bent position without changing stance.

o The simplest explanation is that Jesus may have been simply doodling or tracing

lines on the ground. He may have done so to allow him to think or to showneutrality or to contain his hate and disgust at the accusers.

One could reason that if what Jesus wrote on the ground were crucial, the content of his

writing would have been included in the Gospel.

Verse 7: When they persisted in their questioning, he straightened up and said to them, The man

among you who has no sinlet him be the first to cast a stone at her.

The man among you who has no sin: This statement means that proving the wife guilty is

effective only when the husband is innocent and free from guilt. This passage implies thatout of greed and jealousy, the husband may have trapped his wife in a scandalous

situation instead of seeking to forgive her. Likewise, the witnesses agreed to the scheme.

be the first: The statement of Jesus is based on Deuteronomy 17:7, which says that the

witnesses should be the first to cast stones against the accused. Jesus reminds them thatthose who witness and accuse maliciously would be liable for the persons death.

Verse 8: And he bent down again and started to write on the ground.

write on the ground: As said in verse 3, there are no definite answers on what Jesus

wrote. One scholar suggests that for this instance, Jesus may have written from Exodus23, Keep far away from a false matter(and slay not the innocent and the just, for I shall

not acquit the guilty). If this is the case, this verse parallels Daniels judgment in the

story of Susanna.

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Verse 9: But the audience went away one by one, starting with the elders; and he was left alone

with the woman still there before him.

audience: Some witnesses add the phrase, convicted by their conscience.

starting with: This phrase means including.

Verse 10: So Jesus, straightening up, said to her, Woman, where are they all? Hasnt anyone

condemned you?

where are they all? Maybe Jesus was expressing surprise or was trying to make the

serious situation more light-hearted by joking with the woman.

Hasnt anyone condemned you? Without accusers and witnesses, the case against thewoman crumbles and becomes worthless.

Verse 11: No one, sir, she answered. Jesus said, Nor do I condemn you. You may go. But

from now on, avoid this sin.

Nor do I: Jesus clarifies to the woman that he does not condemn her.

Avoid this sin: The woman is free to go but she is not free to commit adultery.

Conclusion

Although the passage is not of Johannine origin, the story fits very well with the intended

message of the Gospel of John to reveal more profound insights into the personality of

Jesus.

The story reveals the wisdom of Jesus as he faces the scribes, the Pharisees and the

accused woman. Jesus recognizes a trap when the elders bring only the woman accusedof adultery. He remains calm despite the persistent questioning. Even though he issurrounded by experts on the Law, Jesus shows them his mastery not only of the letter of

the law but also of its spirit. Thus, Jesus is a wise and strong character, similar to a fox

and a lion. Learning from Jesus also means being smart and courageous, especially whenthe situation calls for it.

The Law gives harsh penalties for adultery, which tend to be biased against women. Inthe story, only the woman is accused of adultery and she suffers even more by being

publicly humiliated. Although Jesus never condones adultery, his actions allow the

people to recognize their own sinfulness. Jesus gives back to the woman her dignity by

not condemning her and by setting her free with the command to avoid sin. FollowingJesus requires that one treat other people with dignity and justice.

In all of the Gospels, this story is the only incident where Jesus writes. The fact that Jesuscould read and write implies that he is a learned and educated man, especially in the law.

Although the content of his writing is still being debated, Jesus is able to influence the

elders to realize their sinfulness and to drop their case. Without condemning anyone,Jesus exposes the deceit and malice of the accusers. Therefore, a disciple of Jesus would

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be wise to learn from this incident and to be truthful and creative in leading people to the

Kingdom of God.

The character of Jesus shines through this story as he shows great compassion and

courage, both to the accusers and to the accused woman. He faces the elders calmly even

though he knows that it is a trap. Though the accusers seem malicious and deceitful,Jesus never condemns them. He speaks very respectfully to the accused woman and does

not condemn her. However, Jesus holds her up to Gods standards and commands her not

to sin. To have great courage and compassion is difficult for anyone yet Christ teaches allhis followers to be like him. Ultimately, both compassion and courage translate to a

commandment all Christians must dolove.