The Woman Caught
in Adultery
3 February 2022
The story of the woman caught in adultery is found only in the Gospel according to St. John (John 8:1-11). It was so controversial that early translators removed it, but it was later reinstated once its true meaning was understood.
John 8:1-11
While Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
What Does the Story Teach?
Many are curious about what Jesus was writing on the ground. Some translations of John 8:8 read: “And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground the sins of each of them”, while others stop at “ground.”
Understanding the Teaching of Moses
According to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 22), adultery is defined as sexual relations between people not permitted to be together. Punishments vary:
- If the woman is married, both parties are responsible, and the punishment can be death.
- If the woman is unmarried, consensual relations require the man to marry her, but it is not punishable by death.
- A woman can only be prosecuted alone if she was not a virgin at the time of marriage and hid it from her husband.
- If a married woman is forced into a sexual relationship, only the man should be punished.
This shows that adultery is a sin involving two people, not just one. The story of Susanna (Daniel 13) illustrates false accusations, highlighting that both parties must be considered.
Who Judges the Accused?
Deuteronomy 17:8-13 specifies that only priests and judges have authority to pronounce verdicts, not private individuals.
Contradictions in John 8
In John 8, only the woman is brought before Jesus, with no mention of the man involved. If she were married, where was her husband? If unmarried, the act wasn’t punishable by death. The Pharisees’ actions contradicted both Mosaic Law and Roman governance, which reserved capital punishment to proper courts.
During Jesus’ time, prostitution had become a profitable trade. Pharisees condemned it as adultery, but Jesus did not equate it with punishable death (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).
Key Questions and Insights
Why Was the Woman Brought to Jesus?
The Pharisees intended to trap Jesus. Agreeing could contradict His teachings on love and mercy; defending her could appear to oppose Mosaic Law. Jesus skillfully turned the responsibility back on the accusers:
“Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
What Was Jesus Writing?
The Greek word used, katagraphein, means “to write into” or “engrave,” not just “write.” Church Fathers suggest Jesus was engraving the commandments into the earth, echoing Exodus 31:18 when God engraved the tablets. This act pricked the conscience of the accusers.
Why Did Jesus Not Condemn the Woman?
Jesus had no legal authority under Mosaic Law or Roman rule to condemn her. Morally, He upheld love and forgiveness. He recognized sin but did not consider death necessary, instructing the woman:
“Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
Conclusion
Jesus understood the woman’s circumstances, whether financial, coercive, or otherwise. Condemning one person for a sin shared with another, without understanding the reasons, is itself unjust. Forgiveness allows reflection, repentance, and change, as shown in Jesus’ final instruction.
Lessons for Us
The story highlights the contrast between the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and the woman’s humility. The Pharisees condemned others while harboring sin, whereas the woman accepts her situation without protest. Jesus defends her, as He defends all of us.
St. Thomas Aquinas interprets Jesus’ act of stooping to write as a sign of God’s mercy, and standing upright as divine justice. John 8 begins with the Pharisees attempting to stone the woman and ends with them attempting to stone Jesus, showing that condemning others is equivalent to condemning Christ Himself.
Jesus reminds us that sin is not only in actions but also in thoughts:
- Matthew 5:28: Lustful thoughts are already adultery in the heart.
- Matthew 5:22: Anger towards another incurs judgment.
Thus, condemning others is equivalent to condemning Christ, and recognizing our own faults is essential for true righteousness.
References
- Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. © 1989 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
- Mysteries Revealed: Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery
- Photo by fauxels on Pexels
