John 8:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst

NIV: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group

NASB: Now the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard,

CSB: Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center.

NLT: As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

KJV: And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

NKJV: Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,

At various times in Jesus' public ministry, He was challenged by religious leaders, such as the Pharisees (Matthew 16:1; 19:3; Matthew 22:35; Luke 10:25; 11:54). Their questions were usually meant as traps, not sincere requests. These were brought up in an effort to embarrass Jesus in front of His followers. Unfortunately for Jesus' critics, those attempts always came up short—in fact, they usually went worse for the critics than if they'd just been silent. Here, the Pharisees introduce a new wrinkle: a real-life, flesh-and-blood moral dilemma, both unexpected and scandalous.

The verse here says the woman had been caught "in adultery," specified in the next verse as "in the act." Most likely, the woman had been caught, not moments before being brought to Jesus, but at some time previously. One way or another, her guilt was not a matter of debate: she was absolutely, unquestionably culpable for the sin of adultery. This, however, raises a question which might well have been part of Jesus' response. Namely, if the woman was caught "in the act," then so was whatever man she was with—so where is the guilty man? This entire episode is an attempt by the Pharisees to show that they, not Jesus, are truly following the law. But even their trap fails that test, since they've only brought half of the guilty parties (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22).

The act of "placing her in the midst" is part of the Pharisees' intended drama. This is meant to be as public as possible, so that Jesus' response can be given as much publicity as possible. Of course, that approach assumes that Jesus is about to make a serious public-relations error. As it turns out, this assumption is once again false.

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.