Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 8:10
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?
10. none but the woman ] The word for ‘but’ or ‘except’ occurs nowhere in S. John’s writings excepting Rev 2:25; frequently in S. Luke, five times in S. Matthew, five times in S. Paul’s Epistles, once in S. Mark, and nowhere else.
hath no man condemned thee? ] Literally, Did no man condemn thee? But here the English perfect may idiomatically represent the Greek aorist; see on Joh 8:29. The word for ‘condemn’ is a compound not found anywhere in S. John’s writings, but occurring nine times in the Synoptists. S. John uses the simple verb, which means ‘judge,’ but often acquires the notion of judging unfavourably from the context (see on Joh 3:17 and Joh 5:29).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hath no man condemned thee? – Jesus had directed them, if innocent, to cast a stone, thus to condemn her, or to use the power which he gave them to condemn her. No one of them had done that. They had accused her, but they had not proceeded to the act expressive of judicial condemnation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The close of the former verse told us, that though the scribes and Pharisees were gone, yet the woman was left in the midst, expecting Christs sentence. Christ knew well enough that the scribes and Pharisees, this poor womans accusers, were gone; but yet he acts warily, and calls for her accusers, and asks if no man had condemned her? Thereby intimating, that the law against adultery was a just law; and if the crime were proved against her, she deserved to die; but she must first be convicted, and condemned. He asks her, If she were condemned? For then he had nothing to say.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Woman, c.What inimitabletenderness and grace! Conscious of her own guilt, and till now in thehands of men who had talked of stoning her, wondering at the skillwith which her accusers had been dispersed, and the grace ofthe few words addressed to herself, she would be disposed to listen,with a reverence and teachableness before unknown, to our Lord’sadmonition. “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee,go and sin no more.” He pronounces no pardon upon the woman(such as, “Thy sins are forgiven thee” [compare Luk 5:28Luk 7:48] “Go in peace”[compare Mar 5:34; Luk 7:50;Luk 8:48]), much less does He saythat she had done nothing condemnable; He simply leaves the matterwhere it was. He meddles not with the magistrate’s office, nor actsthe Judge in any sense (Joh12:47). But in saying, “Go and sin no more,” which hadbeen before said to one who undoubtedly believed (Joh5:14), more is probably implied than expressed. If broughtsuddenly to conviction of sin, admiration of her Deliverer, and awillingness to be admonished and guided by Him, this call to begin anew life may have carried with it what would ensure and naturallybring about a permanent change. (This whole narrative is wanting insome of the earliest and most valuable manuscripts, and those whichhave it vary to some extent. The internal evidence in its favor isalmost overpowering. It is easy to account for its omission,though genuine; but if not so, it is next to impossible to accountfor its insertion).
Joh8:12-59. FURTHERDISCOURSES OFJESUSATTEMPTTO STONE HIM.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When Jesus had lift himself up,…. From the earth, towards which he stooped, and on which he had been writing:
and saw none but the woman; that is, none of those that had brought her there, and had accused her to him:
he said unto her, woman, where are those thine accusers? the Syriac and Arabic versions read only, “where are these?” these men, that brought thee here, and charged thee with this crime:
hath no man condemned thee? has no one offered to do unto thee what I proposed? what, not one that could take up a stone, and cast at thee? was there not one of them free from this sin? could no man take upon him to execute this sentence?
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Lifted up himself (). First aorist active participle of as in verse 7.
Where are they? ( ;). Jesus had kept on writing on the ground as the accusers had slipped away one by one.
Did no man condemn thee? ( ;). First aorist active indicative of , old and common verb to give judgment against (down on) one, but not in John. No one dared to cast a stone at the woman on Christ’s terms.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “When Jesus had lifted up himself,” (anakupsas de ho lesous) “Then Jesus standing erect,” to face the woman, and His former interrogators, Joh 8:3-5.
2) “And saw none but the woman,” saw no one present any longer, except the woman, that is no one who was directly involved with the accusation and hearing relating to the woman; For John, the writer of this account was with Jesus that day, Joh 21:24-25.
3) “He said unto her, Woman where are those thine accusers?” (eipen aute gunai pou eisen) “He said to her, woman where are they?” the ones who were accusing you. This He said, not for information from her, but for her testimony to be recorded by John who saw and heard the exchange.
4) “Hath no man condemned thee?” (oudeis se katekrinen) “Has no one condemned you?” or remained to bear testimony against you, to be stoned? If no man had, since their own law required the testimony of two or three witnesses, certainly Jesus would not attempt to condemn her on charges they had brought, they who claimed to be witnesses had sneaked away, as entrapment cowards, Num 35:30; Deu 17:6; Deu 19:15; Heb 10:28.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10) Where are those thine accusers?Here again the Cambridge MS. has a shorter readingWhere are they? Hath no man condemned thee? or, more exactly, Did no man condemn thee? The man is in contrast to thine accusers or they. Of all who brought the charge against thee, was there not one to condemn thee? The question is put to her to lead to thoughts of her sin. He has spoken words which have carried a lesson to them: he has now a lesson for her.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. No man condemned thee? They had all individually condemned her in opinion, holding her as really guilty. None of them had condemned her legally, so as to hold her liable to the legal execution.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Jesus lifted himself up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Does no man condemn you?”
Jesus then ‘lifts Himself up’ again. It is the same verb but with what a different meaning. This time it is not a solemn act of forcefully facing up to angry, yet hypocritical men, but an act of graciousness towards a woman in need. And yet it is also stern.
There is no appeal to the crowd. None is needed. His quiet words to the woman are quite sufficient. The great Law interpreters have been there, and no one has condemned her. They have recognised that they stand with her as Law breakers, and even possibly some of them as men with a dubious reputation. So unless all are to be condemned to death she too can go free, but only after a stern warning.
We must note here that once the witnesses had withdrawn their testimony the case was legally closed. It was the witnesses who had to cast the first stones. If there were no eyewitnesses there could be no stoning.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 8:10-11. Hath no man condemned thee? Hath no man punished thee, in casting the first stone at thee? For the critics observe, that the words and are frequently used in the sense of chastising and punishing. “Neither do I condemn thee: I do not order that thou shouldst be now punished; go, and sin no more. Though I do not order thee to be punished at this time, thou must not think that I approve of thy conduct. Thou hast committed a great sin; and therefore I warn thee, that thou beware of committing it any more; for such enormous practices must subject thee to a severer judgment than any human laws can inflict.” It does not appear to me that this woman was a penitent, or that Christ forgave her sin; but only that he dismissed her, as not thinking it proper to take upon himself the office of the civil magistrate in condemning her.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 8:10-11 . .] who have accused thee to me, as if I were to be judge.
] is emphatic: Has no one condemned thee? Has no one declared that thou art to be stoned? Were it not so, they would not have left the woman to go free, and all of them gone away. The here designates the sententia damnatoria , not as a judicial sentence (for the and Pharisees had come merely as asking a question concerning a matter of law or right ), but simply as the judgment of an individual .
.: I also do not condemn thee . This is not the declaration of the forgiveness of sin , as in Mat 9:2 , Luk 7:48 , and cannot therefore justly be urged against the historical genuineness of the narrative (see, in particular, Hengstenberg); nor is it a mere declinature of judicial competency , which would be out of keeping with the preceding question, and with the admonition that follows: on the contrary, it is a refusal to condemn , spoken in the consciousness of His Messianic calling , according to which He had not come to condemn , but to seek and save the lost (Joh 3:17 , Joh 12:46 ; Mat 18:11 ); not to cast out sinners; “not to quench the smoking flax,” etc. He accordingly does in this case what by His office He is called to do, namely, to awaken and give room for repentance [9] in the sinner, instead of condemning; for He dismisses her with the admonition . Augustine well says: “Ergo et Dominus damnavit, sed peccatum, non hominem.” How striking the force of the negative declaration and the positive admonition!
[9] In connection with the marriage law, it is clear from this passage that, in the case of adultery, repentance on the part of the guilty party makes the continuance of the marriage allowable.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1649
THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY DISMISSED
Joh 8:10-11. 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? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.
IT is surprising to see in what a variety of ways the wickedness of the human heart will betray itself: sometimes in the commission of gross iniquity, and sometimes in apparent indignation against it: sometimes in open hostility against Christ, and sometimes in hypocritical professions of regard for him. Who that had seen the zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees against an adulterous woman, would not have thought them the purest of the human race? Who that had heard their citations of Moses law, and their respectful application to Christ as an authorized expositor of that law, would not have supposed that they truly feared God, and desired to perform his holy will? Who would have imagined that the whole was only a murderous plot against the life of Christ? Yet so it was. These accusers had no indignation against the sin of adultery, nor any love to the law of Moses, nor any zeal for the honour of God: they were actuated solely by an inveterate hatred of Christ, and a determination to find, if possible, some occasion against him, that they might accuse him. Their professed object was, to punish the woman; but their real object was, to lay a snare for his life.
We forbear to notice, that in some old manuscript copies this short history is not recorded, because there can be no doubt of its authenticity; and the very care with which the early Christians examined the authenticity of every part of Scripture, is a strong proof of the genuineness of the New Testament, as it has been handed down to us.
That which we wish you particularly to observe, is,
I.
In what manner Christ extricated himself
The snare laid for him was well contrived
[The Scribes and Pharisees brought him a woman, who had been taken in the very act of adultery, and was therefore incapable of uttering a word in her own defence. The law of Moses had prescribed that all who were guilty of that crime should be put to death. If the woman were not absolutely married, but only espoused, she was still to be put to death, and that by stoning [Note: Lev 20:10. Deu 22:22-24.]. Hence, it should seem, the particular death to which adulterers in general were condemned, was that of stoning [Note: Eze 16:38; Eze 16:40.]. But the point which they referred to our Lords decision, was, whether they should execute the law, or not. Now there were but four things which our Lord could do: either he might acquit the woman, or condemn her, or dismiss the matter without any attention to it, or refer them to another tribunal; but whichever of these he should do, they would make it a ground of accusation against him: if he should acquit her, they would represent him as an enemy to Moses, and a patron of iniquity: if he should condemn her, they would accuse him to the Romans as resisting the government of Csar, and encouraging sedition: if he should dismiss the matter, they would say he shewed no zeal for the honour of God, whom he pretended to call his Father, and had no pretensions to the office of the Messiah, whose first object would be to make an end of sins, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. If he should refer them to any other tribunal, to whomsoever he referred them, whether to the Roman or Jewish authorities, they would equally find matter of accusation against him; either of sanctioning the usurpation of the Romans on the one hand, or of setting himself against it, on the other: so that, whatsoever he should say or do, they would lower him in the estimation of the people, and open a way for his destruction.]
And how did he escape the snare
[At first he declined giving any answer at all; but stooped down, and wrote upon the ground. What he wrote, we know not: nor are we told precisely what he meant by that significant action [Note: The words as though he heard them not, are printed in italics to shew that they are not in the original: and certainly they had better not have been inserted; because it was manifest that he did hear them. But by this action he might intend to intimate, that they should take heed to what was written: or perhaps he wrote the very sentence which he afterwards pronounced.]: but his enemies, conceiving that they had gained their point, became more and more urgent for a decisive answer: he therefore addressed himself to their consciences; and as, in the case of idolatry, the law required that the witnesses should be the first in stoning the offender to death, so he bade the person that was without sin among them begin to inflict the punishment of death upon her. He did not by this intend, that under the Gospel dispensation human laws should not be executed by any who were not themselves without sin; but lie determined to confound these vile hypocrites, who, under a mask of zeal against sin, were perpetrating the greatest of all sins. To give time for his word to operate on their consciences, he stooped down and wrote again: and behold, these accusers, self-condemned in their own minds, and fearful lest their own secret abominations should be exposed to public view, withdrew as privately as they could; the elder part among them, as being most fearful of exposure, retiring first, and gradually the younger also following their example; so that in a little time not a single accuser was left. What an evidence was here of the power of conscience, when awakened by the Spirit of God, and armed against the sinner by a Divine power! Truly, the blindest must see, the most obdurate must feel, the most impudent must blush, and the most confident be confounded, when once the voice of conscience is distinctly heard: and we cannot but think it a good way of silencing a contentious and subtle adversary, to make a direct attack upon his conscience, and to fix his attention upon what has passed within his own bosom.
It is not necessary to suppose that all the accusers had been guilty of the precise sin which they laid to the charge of this woman: there was now enough of their past iniquities presented to their view to produce the desired effect, of constraining them to proclaim their own shame, and to suspend the persecution which they had so wickedly commenced. Thus was our Lord relieved from every difficulty; and his enemies fell into the pit which they had digged for him.]
It remains for us now to notice,
II.
In what manner he dismissed the woman
We hear of no triumph that he expressed over his disconcerted adversaries: he merely asks where they were; and finding that they had withdrawn, and no longer chose to appear in the quality of accusers, he dismisses the woman,
1.
With condescending kindness
[Woman, hath no man condemned thee? neither do I condemn thee: go thy way: It is not my office to exercise the power of the civil magistrate; nor is it my wish to denounce the judgments of God against thee. I came not into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through me might be saved [Note: Joh 3:17.]. Go, improve the time that is now unexpectedly allotted thee: be thankful that thou art not now sent into the presence of thy God with all thy sins upon thee: let the space which is given thee for repentance, be well employed: lose not an hour in seeking forgiveness with thy God. Go to thy chamber, and pour out thy soul before him: and remember, that the mercy which thou art experiencing at my hands in relation to thy body, is an emblem of what I am ready to bestow upon thy soul. I came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost: nor shall the vilest of the human race be condemned before me in the great and awful day, provided he penitently confess his sins, and humbly seek acceptance through me: Though his sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool [Note: Isa 1:18 and Pro 28:13.].]
2.
With an authoritative admonition
[Greatly as our Lord delighted in mercy, he would not so exercise it as to give the least countenance to sin. Whilst therefore he dismisses her, he adds a solemn admonition, Go, and sin no more. Think not lightly of thy sins, because I have expressed such tenderness towards thee; neither imagine that they will not be punished hereafter, if thou continuest in the commission of them. The goodness and long-suffering and forbearance which thou hast experienced, should lead thee to repentance: and, if they do not, they will aggravate thy condemnation to all eternity. Go therefore, and sin no more. Let a sense of thy past dangers deter thee: let a consideration of the mercies vouchsafed to thee stimulate thine exertions: let the hope of future mercies encourage thee: let the prospect of a future judgment fix thy purpose, and strengthen thy resolution. Above all, commit thyself to God, who alone is able to keep thee from falling, and to present thee faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.]
Address
1.
The self-satisfied and self-applauding Christian
[Many who are vehement against flagrant transgressors, and many too who profess an outward reverence for Christ, are yet exceeding vile in the sight of the heart-searching God. Before men, perhaps, they appear in a favourable light: but if all that they have thought and done in secret were written on their foreheads, they could not endure the sight of their fellow-creatures, but would retire from society, as these Scribes and Pharisees retired, filled with shame and confusion. Let each one of us examine the records of his own conscience; and recollect all the transactions which have passed from his youth up to the present hour: ah! who amongst us would venture, after such a survey, to justify himself? Know ye, brethren, that God sees all that has passed, whether ye see it or not: you may have forgotten it; but it is all recorded in the book of his remembrance, and will be exposed by him to the view of the whole assembled universe. Learn then to view yourselves as he views you; and to esteem yourselves as he esteems you: and know, that you never have a just estimate of your own character till you see yourselves to be the chief of sinners. Cast away, I say, your high thoughts of yourselves, and learn to lothe and abhor yourselves in dust and ashes.]
2.
The sorrowful and self-condemning Christian
[You see in the history before us how tender and compassionate the Saviour is. If then conscience have arrested you, and brought you into his presence, remember, that he is rich in mercy, and ready to forgive; and that he will never condemn any but the impenitent and unbelieving [Note: Isa 55:7. 1Ti 1:15-16.]
At the same time, I would affectionately caution you against mistaking the nature of true repentance. Perhaps conscience has condemned you, and you have felt ashamed and confounded on account of your great iniquities. But if you have gone no further, you are no true penitent. The Scribes and Pharisees advanced thus far; but they sought not mercy at the Saviours hands: they went from him, fearing more the decrease of their reputation, than the loss of their souls. Had they been truly penitent, they would have blessed him who had thus flashed conviction on their minds, and have implored his more effectual power to change and renew their souls. Be not contented then to resemble them; but seek to know all the hidden abominations of your hearts, and to have them washed away in the Redeemers blood. Be assured that true repentance will lead you to Christ: and, if you do not find this effect from your convictions, you may know infallibly that your sorrow is not of a godly sort, and that your very repentance needs yet to be repented of.
It is of great importance for you to make these distinctions; because many continue all their days guilty, but not humbled; condemned, but not forgiven.]
3.
The Christian who professes to have obtained mercy of the Lord
[The admonition given to the woman is equally addressed to every true believer. And here must I suggest a caution against a common, but fatal error. If persons abstain from some particular sins which they have before committed, they are ready to think that they have done all that is required of them. But to turn from gross iniquities is a small matter; and to perform some particular duties is a small matter. Pride and self-complacency may carry us thus far: but the grace of God must carry us much farther. We must lay the axe to the root: we must put away our besetting sin: and must become new creatures, and be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Mark this expression: it conveys a more complete idea of sound conversion than almost any other expression in the whole sacred volume: contemplate it: enter into it: beg of God to reveal to you its true import. The bent of your minds was earthly: a directly opposite bent must now be given it; just as a river which recently flowed with rapidity towards the ocean, now flows with equal rapidity towards the fountain-head: the tide has turned, and completely changed its course. Thus must it be with you: heavenly things must now have the place in your affections that earthly things once held; and the delight of your soul must be in them, as that of a licentious man is in his pleasures, or an avaricious man in his wealth. To surrender up all your faculties and powers as a living sacrifice to God, is the proper fruit of his mercies, and the proper evidence of his grace. Never think then that you have yet attained, but press forward for higher degrees of grace and holiness; and make it your endeavour to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
10 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?
Ver. 10. Where are those thine accusers? ] She might have answered as Tertullian in another case not unlike, Facti sunt a corde suo fugitivi, they are fled before their own consciences, which convicted them, as it were, by argument, Joh 8:9 , .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10, 11. ] (v. r.) is only found here in John, Gosp. and Epp.
also is not found elsewhere in John, who uses in its strict sense for it. The question is evidently so worded for the sake of : but it expresses the truth in the depth of their hearts. The Lord’s challenge to them would lead to a condemnation by comparison with themselves, if they condemned at all: which they had not done. The words of Jesus were in fact a far deeper and more solemn testimony against the sin than could be any mere penal sentence. And in judging of them we must never forget that He who thus spoke knew the hearts, and what was the peculiar state of this woman as to penitence. We must not apply in all cases a sentence, which requires His divine knowledge to make it a just one. ]
Joh 8:10 . Jesus, lifting His head and seeing that the woman was left alone, says to her: ; “Woman,” nominative for vocative, as frequently, but see critical note, “where are they? Did no man condemn thee?” That is, has no one shown himself ready to begin the stoning?
saw. App-133.
none. Greek. medeis.
but = except. Greek. plen,
no man = no one. Greek. oudeis.
condemned. App-122.
10, 11.] (v. r.) is only found here in John, Gosp. and Epp.
also is not found elsewhere in John, who uses in its strict sense for it. The question is evidently so worded for the sake of : but it expresses the truth in the depth of their hearts. The Lords challenge to them would lead to a condemnation by comparison with themselves, if they condemned at all: which they had not done. The words of Jesus were in fact a far deeper and more solemn testimony against the sin than could be any mere penal sentence. And in judging of them we must never forget that He who thus spoke knew the hearts,-and what was the peculiar state of this woman as to penitence. We must not apply in all cases a sentence, which requires His divine knowledge to make it a just one.]
Joh 8:10. ) The preposition , which is employed by John in no passage of all his writings, betrays the fact of these words being a gloss unknown to the ancients: he has everywhere expressed the force of that preposition by some other word.[218]-, those) They had now fled far away.
[218] Therefore Beng. here clearly approves of the omission of this clause (which the larger Ed. had less sanctioned), along with 2 Ed., and also the Vers. Germ.-E. B. [D Vulg. and several Versions, and Ambrose and Augustine, all omit the words.-E. and T.]
Joh 8:10
Joh 8:10
And Jesus lifted up himself, and said unto her, Woman, where are they? did no man condemn thee?-[Is there no one to prove you guilty?]
where: Isa 41:11, Isa 41:12
Reciprocal: Joh 8:9 – alone
1
Jesus asked the woman if no man condemned her. This could not mean whether any man accused her, for they had already done that. The word is from KATAKRINO, and Thayer defines it, “To give judgment against one, to judge worthy of punishment, to condemn.” Jesus did not excuse the woman’s act, but he would not require that the ordinance be executed upon her. The accusers failed to execute it, which is what she meant when she said, No man, Lord. Jesus said, neither do I condemn thee, and immediately admonished her to sin no more. It was somewhat like a case where a judge hears evidence against a prisoner. He might consider all the facts in the case, and decide he would give him another chance. He would probably say, “I will let you off this time, but don’t be guilty again.” Another thing, the witnesses were the only ones who could lawfully execute this ordinance, and they had left the assembly. Jesus did not care to act the part of executioners, hence bade the woman go, giving her an admonition concerning her future conduct.
Joh 8:10. And Jesus lifted up himself and said unto her. Woman, where are they? Did no man condemn thee? The word condemn, for which it is not possible to substitute another, conveys most imperfectly the sense of the original Greek. The meaning is rather, Doth no man doom thee to the sentence of which they spoke?
Joh 8:10-11. When Jesus saw none but the woman None of those who had been soliciting his judgment, but only the woman they had brought before him; he said, Where are those thine accusers? Is there no one remaining to bear witness against thee? hath no man condemned thee Hath no judicial sentence been passed upon thee? She said, No man, Lord: Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee Neither do I take upon me to pass any such sentence, nor to order thee to be punished at this time: but thou must not therefore think that I approve thy conduct. Thou hast committed a great sin, and I charge thee to beware of committing it any more. Let this deliverance lead thee to repentance. The English word condemn, says Dr. Campbell, is used with so great a latitude of signification, for blaming, disapproving, as well as passing sentence against, that I thought it better, in order to avoid occasion of mistaking, to use a periphrasis, which hits exactly the meaning of the Greek word , in these two verses. He therefore renders the expression in the former verse, Hath no man passed sentence upon thee? and in the latter, Neither do I pass sentence on thee. In this transaction Jesus appears unspeakably great, having displayed on the occasion a degree of wisdom and knowledge, power and goodness, vastly more than human. His wisdom he showed in defending himself against the malicious attacks of his enemies; his knowledge, in discovering the invisible state of their minds; his power, in making use of their own secret thoughts and convictions, to disappoint their crafty intentions; and his goodness, in pitying, and not punishing instantly, one who had been guilty of an atrocious act of wickedness. Macknight.
Vv. 10, 11. By the , neither do I, Jesus gives the woman to understand that there was nevertheless one there who, without acting in contradiction to the rule of justice laid down in Joh 8:7, might really have the right of taking up the stone, if He thought it fit to do so; but this one even renounced it through charitable feeling and in order to leave her the opportunity of returning to virtue: Go, and sin no more. We must not see in the words of Jesus: I do not condemn thee, a declaration of pardon similar to that which He addresses to the penitent sinful woman in Luk 7:48; Luk 7:50. Bengel rightly remarks that Jesus does not say: Go in peace: thy sins are forgiven thee. For the sinful woman who is in question here did not come to Jesus by reason of a movement of repentance and faith. By not condemning her, Jesus simply grants her the opportunity for repenting and believing. It is a promise of forbearance, not justification; comp. Rom 3:24-25 (). And by saying to her:Sin no more, He indicates to her the path on which alone she can really lay hold upon salvation.
Thus vanish all the moral difficulties and all the historical improbabilities which Hengstenberg and others claim that they find in this story. As Reuss says: The authenticity of the fact seems to be sufficiently established. This incident is in every point worthy of the wisdom, holiness and goodness of Him to whom it is attributed. Jesus clearly distinguished the judicial domain from the moral domain; He wakened in His adversaries the consciousness of their own sinfulness, and He made this woman understand how she must use the opportunity of grace which is accorded to her. Finally, in the words: Where are the accusers? we think we hear, as it were, the prelude of that triumphant exclamation of the Apostle Paul: Who shall accuse? Who shall condemn? (Rom 8:33-34.)
The internal characteristics of this inimitable incident of the life of Jesus locate it chronologically in the same period with the other analogous facts related by the Synoptics, that is to say, immediately after the entrance into Jerusalem on Palmday (Luke 20; Matthew 22, etc.). It is, moreover, at this moment only that so explicit a recognition of the authority of Jesus on the part of the members of the Sanhedrim can be understood.
8:10 {3} 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?
(3) Christ would not take upon himself the office of the civil magistrate: he was content to bring sinners to faith and repentance.
Jesus’ addressed the woman respectfully (cf. Joh 2:4; Joh 4:21; Joh 19:26; Joh 20:13). He asked if no one who was condemning her remained. He did not ask her if she was guilty. Evidently she was. As the judge in her case, He showed more interest in her prosecutors than in her guilt. Without prosecutors Jesus dismissed the case. This was His prerogative as her judge. He only issued her a warning. She would have to stand before Him again in the future, but this was not the time that He wanted to pass judgment on her (cf. Joh 3:17). He gave her mercy and time to change her ways (cf. Joh 1:14). Thus He was not "easy on sin." The ultimate reason He could exempt her from condemnation is that He would take her condemnation on Himself and die in her place (cf. Rom 8:1).
"Law and grace do not compete with each other; they complement each other. Nobody was ever saved by keeping the Law, but nobody was ever saved by grace who was not first indicted by the Law. There must be conviction before there can be conversion." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:320.]
This incident is further proof that Jesus was more righteous and much wiser than the Jewish religious leaders who sought to kill Him. It is also another demonstration of His patience and grace with sinners.
"Reviewing the case, Jesus brought forth the judgment, ’Stone her.’ Unfortunately for the Pharisees, He had required, as the Law had stated, that the witnesses be qualified.
"The Pharisees who were accusing the woman, not for the good of Israel but to trap Jesus, were struck. They knew they were malicious. Thus they had to step down or else incur the punishment required of malicious witnesses-the very stoning they desired for the accused!
"Jesus pronounced the final decree. Since He was the only witness left, and the Mosaic Law required two, she was free. But the Prophet instructed her to avoid all guilt under the Law, since Deu 18:15 said the people were to listen to the Prophet. Joh 7:53 to Joh 8:11 shows in numerous ways that Jesus is indeed the Prophet of whom Moses wrote." [Note: Charles P. Baylis, "The Woman Caught in Adultery: A Test of Jesus as the Greater Prophet," Bibliotheca Sacra 146:582 (April-June 1989):184.]
Jesus’ role as the judge of human beings is quite clear in this incident, but His role as the coming Prophet may need clarification. Moses, the prophet through whom God gave the Old Covenant, had announced that God’s will for His people was that they stone adulterers and adulteresses. Jesus, the prophet through whom God gave the New Covenant, now announced a change. God’s people were no longer to stone these sinners but to show them mercy and leave the judging to God.
What if Jesus’ enemies had brought a murderer before Him? Would Jesus have said the same thing? I think not. God had made His will concerning the punishment of murderers clear in Gen 9:5-6, the Noahic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant continued the same policy, as does the New Covenant. The way God has told society to deal with adultery has changed. That is why we do not execute adulterers in the church age. But the way He has told us to deal with murderers has not changed; we are still to put them to death.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)