John 8:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

NIV: Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'

NASB: And straightening up, Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?'

CSB: When Jesus stood up, he said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? "

NLT: Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, 'Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?'

KJV: When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

NKJV: When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

Jesus' response to the adulterous woman is valuable for our understanding of judgment, mercy, and God's perspective on sin. At no point does Jesus shrink from the fact of her sin—earlier verses said she was caught "in the act," so there is no doubt about her moral guilt. Old Testament law called for the death penalty for adulterers (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22), so there is no doubt about her legal guilt. And, as the only perfectly sinless man, there is no doubt about Jesus' moral authority to deliver harsh justice to this sinner (Hebrews 4:15). All the same, Jesus proves that simply because we can do something does not make it the best option.

Christ's question here sets up His response in the next verse. This is an instance of forgiveness, not ignorance. Jesus is not going to claim that the woman is innocent or that her sin is trivial. On the contrary, Jesus will explicitly refer to her behavior as sinful, even as He demonstrates how mercy is meant to take precedence over retribution, even under the Old Testament law (Proverbs 21:10; Zechariah 7:8–9; Matthew 23:23).

John 7:53—8:11 is one of the most famous stories of the New Testament. However, scholars do not believe it was originally found in this particular place in Scripture. The flow of the gospel of John seems interrupted by the story. Also, in ancient manuscripts, these verses are located in various places. This leads to the consensus that it is a true story, but not part of John's original narrative of the Festival of Booths in chapters 7 and 8. Jesus' response to a trap sprung by the Pharisees is masterful. Though He alone has the moral authority to execute the woman for her sin, Jesus instead chooses forgiveness. This highlights a major concept of Christian ethics: just because one has the power to do something does not mean it's the best option.

John chapter 8 includes the story of the adulterous woman, a well-known but controversial passage. Most scholars believe this story is authentic, but not originally found in this exact spot in Scripture. This chapter continues Jesus' preaching during the Feast of Booths, where He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. Here, Christ will make His second ''I AM'' statement, using the analogy of light, which is a common theme in Hebrew theology. This conversation will become more and more heated. Eventually, Jesus' opponents are enraged enough to attempt killing Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem, and has once again come into conflict with the local religious authorities. In the previous chapter, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water, playing off of the festivals' ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will use the imagery of lights, also related to festival traditions. This chapter demonstrates Jesus' willingness to be direct, even aggressive, with His critics. The next few chapters will complete Jesus' public ministry, as He prepares for His impending death.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.