Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The questioners try to trap Jesus by citing a specific Mosaic law. However, the original law in Leviticus 20:10 only decreed death for adultery, not necessarily stoning, which was a later rabbinical interpretation and often applied to specific circumstances like betrothal. They’re presenting a particular, possibly misapplied, interpretation as the definitive command to corner Jesus.
Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The scribes and Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, bring a woman caught in adultery before him. They cite the Law of Moses, which commanded stoning for such offenses, and demand Jesus' judgment. This situation forces Jesus into a difficult position: agree with the Law and condemn her, or appear to disregard it, potentially alienating his followers and clashing with Roman authority.
These religious leaders pull out a verse from Moses to condemn a woman. But did they really have her best interests—or God's—at heart?
The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, demanding to know if she should be stoned according to the Law of Moses.
A Loaded Question
They quote Moses, citing the punishment for adultery (Deuteronomy 22:22-24). However, the scholars point out that their application might be selective:
This highlights a crucial point: religious leaders can twist Scripture for their own agendas, using its authority to trap others rather than to guide them toward truth.
Instead of directly answering their trap, Jesus turns the tables. What does His seemingly simple act of writing on the ground reveal?
Ask a follow-up
Jesus’s response is anything but simple. When confronted with the woman and the accusatory question, He stoops down and writes on the ground.
More Than Meets the Eye
This action, though brief, is profound:
Jesus’s approach demonstrates that true justice requires self-examination and mercy, not just rigid adherence to the letter of the law.
Understand the original words
torah · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the Pentateuch or the entire body of divine instruction given through Moses. It serves as the standard for holiness, righteousness, and the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
Mosheh · Hebrew Noun
The first prophet of Israel through whom God gave the covenant and the law at Sinai. He is the mediator of the Old Covenant and the foundational figure of the Jewish religious system.
lithazein · Greek Verb
A technical term for the capital punishment prescribed in the Mosaic Law for specific violations of the covenant, particularly sexual immorality or blasphemy. It symbolized the purging of evil from the community.
The accusers in this passage refer to the Mosaic Law, but their insistence on stoning highlights how Jewish legal traditions had developed specific interpretations of capital punishment, potentially for a betrothed woman rather than a married one, as a way to trap Jesus in His response.
c. 1400 BC
Mosaic Law Given
Moses delivers the Law, including statutes concerning adultery that prescribed death as the penalty for such offenses.
c. 900-500 BC
Prophetic Condemnation of Adultery
Prophets like Ezekiel condemn adultery, with Ezekiel 16:38-40 describing a future judgment where adulteresses are stoned.
1st Century BC - 1st Century AD
Development of Jewish Legal Tradition
During this period, Jewish legal authorities (Scribes and Pharisees) developed interpretations and traditions regarding the application of the Law, including debates on the specific method of capital punishment for adultery.
c. AD 30— this verse
Confrontation in the Temple Courtyard
Scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery before Jesus in the Temple, challenging Him to judge her according to the Law of Moses, which they claim prescribes stoning.
This passage from the Law of Moses directly states the penalty for adultery, which is what the accusers are referencing when they cite Moses' command.
Deuteronomy 22:22-24This passage specifies the punishment by stoning for a betrothed virgin found committing adultery, a detail that the accusers may have been alluding to in their attempt to trap Jesus.
Ezekiel 16:38-40The prophet Ezekiel describes God's judgment on Jerusalem using the imagery of stoning and piercing, reflecting a historical understanding of severe punishment for adultery that the accusers might have drawn upon.
Matthew 22:15-18Here, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar, similar to how they question Him about the woman, seeking to find fault with His response regardless of what He says.
Romans 2:1-3Paul speaks about God's righteous judgment and warns against hypocrisy, directly addressing the attitude of the accusers who, while condemning another, are themselves guilty.
barnesJohn 8:5: "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?"
Moses in the law ... - The punishment of adultery commanded by Moses was death, Leviticus 20:10 ; Deuteronomy 22:22 . The particular manner of the death was not specified in the law. The Jews had themselves, in the time of Christ, determined that it should be by stoning. See this described in the notes at Matthew 21:35 , Matthew 21:44 . The punishment for adultery varied. In some cases it was strang…
calvinJohn 8:1-11: "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives."
- But Jesus went to the mountain of Olives. 2. And early in the morning he again came to the temple, and all the people came to him; and sitting down, he taught them 3. And the scribes and Pharisees bring to him a woman caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst, 4. They say to him, Master, this woman was caught in the very act, while she was committing adultery. 5. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such persons; but what sayes…
The questioners try to trap Jesus by citing a specific Mosaic law. However, the original law in Leviticus 20:10 only decreed death for adultery, not necessarily stoning, which was a later rabbinical interpretation and often applied to specific circumstances like betrothal. They’re presenting a particular, possibly misapplied, interpretation as the definitive command to corner Jesus.
The scribes and Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, bring a woman caught in adultery before him. They cite the Law of Moses, which commanded stoning for such offenses, and demand Jesus' judgment. This situation forces Jesus into a difficult position: agree with the Law and condemn her, or appear to disregard it, potentially alienating his followers and clashing with Roman authority.
The scribes and Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, bring a woman caught in adultery before him. They cite the Law of Moses, which commanded stoning for such offenses, and demand Jesus' judgment. This situation forces Jesus into a difficult position: agree with the Law and condemn her, or appear to disregard it, potentially alienating his followers and clashing with Roman authority.
"Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”" — The questioners try to trap Jesus by citing a specific Mosaic law. However, the original law in Leviticus 20:10 only decreed death for adultery, not necessarily stoning, which was a later rabbinical…
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Last reviewed October 2026