The Woman Caught in Adultery

Introduction
In John chapter 7, Jesus is at the Feast of Sukkot teaching in the Temple. Many believe starting in John chapter seven verse 53 through John chapter eight verse 11 another story of Jesus is added to the text. This addition to the text is the story about the adulterous woman. There is no doubt this encounter actually occurred. Many believe when the text was copied, this story may have been taken from another section of Scripture and added here because there was room in the text. I only mention this as this story most likely did not happen during the Feast of Sukkot which is mentioned in chapter seven. Also, if you take out this story, chapter eight verse 12 picks up with Jesus still at the Feast of Sukkot. Some translations have chapter seven verse 53 through chapter eight verse 11 in parenthesis to emphasis this section may not be in the exact order as it was written in the original text.

The adulterous woman has been preached by many throughout the centuries. There have been many good points made, but also there have been many essential pieces which have been overlooked. Many believe Jesus freed this woman by simply setting her free by grace. Preachers proclaim Jesus triumphed over the law (Torah). Jesus forgave this woman her sins, and she was set free from the Torah. However, this teaching is quite erroneous. Jesus uses the Torah to show the scribes and Pharisees their inaccuracies in interpreting Scripture.

(Remember, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

The Text
John 8:2-11
Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more."

Brief Overview
The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in the temple. They want to test Him as to what should be done regarding this woman. The Pharisees and scribes believe it should be an easy case. The woman was caught violating Torah (for committing adultery is sin). There should be no way Jesus should be able to set this woman free. The Pharisees and scribes believe they have an iron clad case. If Jesus shows mercy to this woman, He would not be following Torah. If Jesus does not follow Torah, the Pharisees and scribes would have evidence to prove Jesus was not the Messiah. (Remember, Jesus MUST follow Torah. Violating Torah is sin. "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness (Torahlessness); sin is lawlessness (Torahlessness)" (1 John 3:4).

Text breakdown
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery: The scribes and the Pharisees were some of the most learned people of the Torah. The Pharisees were a denomination of Judaism. During Jesus' time, there were seven factions of Pharisees. The scribes copied down the Torah to create new Torah scrolls. They also taught the Torah. The Pharisees and scribes knew the Torah backwards and forwards. Most of them had the Torah memorized.

We are not given the exact details, but this woman was supposedly "caught" in adultery. We do not know how she was "caught". Did one of the scribes and Pharisees actually see the adultery being committed? Or was this woman's adultery told to a scribe or Pharisee and he "arrested" the woman and brought her to the temple?

Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act: The scribes and Pharisees are trying to prove their case that this woman is 100% guilty. There is an error with their case. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, where is the man? A woman cannot commit adultery by herself.

Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such a woman: One thing we are not told is if this woman was a married woman or betrothed. It is not extremely important to know if the woman was married or betrothed since the penalty for adultery was death of both the man and woman. The Torah considers a betrothal (engagement) the same as being married.

"If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10).

"If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge evil  from Israel" (Deuteronomy 22:22)

"If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).

Again, the scribes and Pharisees are setting themselves up for failure. They bring up the Law of Moses, which states if a woman commits adultery, she must be put to death. However, the Torah also states the man must be put to death. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, the man should have also been apprehended and brought before Jesus. However, the Pharisees ans scribes only brought the woman.

But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground:  This sentence has puzzled many scholars for many centuries. People want to know what Jesus was writing on the ground. While we are not told what Jesus is writing, we can use Scripture to perhaps shed light on this topic. In Jeremiah 17 verse 13, we find the following:
"O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD."

According to Jeremiah 17:13, all those who forsake the LORD  will be written down. It is possible as Jesus was stooping down, he was writing the names of each of the Pharisees and scribes in the dirt. Being well versed in Scripture, when they saw their name, they would have been reminded of this verse in Jeremiah.

But when they persisted in asking him: Jesus seems as though He becomes deaf to the Pharisees and scribes for a little bit. We see from Psalms, Jesus appears to be acting out some more Scripture.

"They also that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs" (Psalm 38:12-14).

Jesus' silence also leads us into Jesus' rebuke. This continues a theme we see in Psalm 50:
"But to the wicked God says, 'What right have you to tell of My statues and to take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you associate with adulterers. You let your mouth loose in evil and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes" (Psalm 50:16-21).

He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her: Jesus tells the Pharisees a very interesting thing: whoever is without sin, that man is to throw the first stone. There is a major stumbling block here. Torah states a crime can only be committed if two or three witnesses see the infringement to Torah. "At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worth of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" (Deuteronomy 17:6).

We can be fairly confident none of the Pharisees and scribes present saw the woman in the act of adultery. Furthermore, if they did see her, they would have been obligated to bring both the woman and man with them to accuse them.

By Jesus answering the Pharisees and scribes, He is speaking in terms the Pharisees and scribes can understand: "Answer not a fool according to his folly, least you also be like onto him. Answer a fool according to his folly; least he be wise in his own conceit"(Proverbs 26:4-5).

When they heard it, they began to go out one by one: Jesus' words seem to have pierced the hearts and souls of the scribes and Pharisees to such a point that no one was able to continue standing before Jesus and no one was able to throw a stone. This emphasizes two points:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened onto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

"Judge not that you not be judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you use, it shall be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2).

Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?:  Suddenly, the woman is left alone with Jesus. All her accusers have vanished.

"Behold, all they that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they that strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and shall not find them, even them that contended with you. They that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing. (Isaiah 41:11-12)

And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more": Jesus is acting as the judge in the woman caught in adultery's case. In order for a crime to have been committed, there has to be at least two witnesses. Now that all the accusers have left, there are no witnesses. If there are no witnesses, no violation of the Torah has occurred. Jesus is rendering a just decision.

"Judges and officers shall you make in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment." (Deuteronomy 16:18)

Jesus next tells the woman to sin no more. This implies although the woman has not been charged with a violation of the Torah, Jesus knows the woman has sinned.

"He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

"Wash you, make you clean, put away evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins be as scarlet,, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'" (Isaiah 1:16-18)

"Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call upon him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

"'Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,' says the LORD God. 'Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have not pleasure in the death of him that dies,' says the LORD God. 'Wherefore turn yourselves, and live.'" (Ezekiel 18:30-32)


In Summary
The scribes and the Pharisees are trying to set a trap for Jesus. They want to have Jesus execute a woman caught in adultery. Jesus uses the Torah to vindicate the woman. The Torah requires both the man and woman to be brought to justice. Only the woman was brought. If the woman was actually caught in adultery, the man would have been also apprehended. Since the scribe and Pharisees did not actually see the adultery take place, they could not be witnesses to the crime. Torah states on the evidence of two or three witnesses may a person be convicted of a crime (Deuteronomy 17:6). None of the Pharisees or scribes can honesty state he saw the act. Thus, with no witnesses, the scribes and Pharisees cannot bring charges against the woman.