John 8:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”

NIV: In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.Now what do you say?'

NASB: Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?'

CSB: In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? "

NLT: The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?'

KJV: Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

NKJV: Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 prescribed the death penalty for couples who committed adultery. However, the Pharisees who have brought this woman have only accused half of the guilty parties: the woman. This raises a serious problem with their attack on Jesus. Their goal, as shown in the next verse, is to trick Jesus into making one of two mistakes. As they see it, Jesus can either stone the woman, ruining His reputation for mercy (Matthew 11:19; Luke 6:36), and putting Himself at legal risk (John 18:31), or He can refuse and defy the law of Moses (John 8:6). In trying to show their superiority, however, these men have failed to fully follow the law themselves: they have not brought the guilty man!

Some interpreters believe this very fact plays into Jesus' response. The next verse indicates that Jesus writes something on the ground, silently absorbing questions until He chooses to respond. It's possible He was writing the very laws these men claimed to be following, in order to highlight their hypocrisy. Perhaps He wrote the names of the accusing Pharisees and their own sins. What, exactly, He was writing, we don't know. What we do know is that Jesus successfully answers this dilemma using a principle from which all Christians can learn. This is the difference between what we can do, and what we ought to do.

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.