The narrative of the adulterous woman who was caught in the act and brought by the Pharisees to Jesus to test him is one of the most intriguing gospel accounts and perhaps among the dearest to the hearts of many. As adulterous women were among the most disdained groups of society, the interaction between Jesus and this woman would have been quite controversial by the standards of first-century Jewish society as well as our own. Before we delve into examining the theological significances that undergird the narrative, a brief recap of its main events may be helpful to those who are not familiar with its details.
The Account according to John
As the Jews were celebrating the week-long Feast of Tabernacles, as was his habit, Jesus taught in the temple during the feast. After the feast concluded, everyone went to his house but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to spend the night as he intended to return the next day to continue teaching in the temple. On the following day, he went back to the temple, sat down, and began to teach the people who had gathered around him to listen to his teaching. That was when the scribes and Pharisees came to test him.
In the opening line of this passage John writes that “the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery” and placed her in the middle of the court of the temple where Jesus had been teaching (John 8:3). Quickly they asked Jesus whether they should stone her to death as the law of Moses commands. Helpfully, John clarifies to his readers that they had done this only to test him. Jesus seemed to not care to return a verdict right away, apparently knowing their hearts’ evil intentions. Instead, he stooped down and began to write on the ground with his finger. Mind you, all this happened in the outer court of the temple. The ground was most likely unpaved dust (this is an important detail to which we will return later!)
When the scribes and Pharisees continued to ask Jesus for an answer, he stood up and uttered one of the most famous of his sayings: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Immediately, he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground with his finger. Seemingly convicted by his answer, the elders who had brought the woman began to leave the scene one by one from the eldest to the youngest. When there was no one left but the woman herself standing the middle, Jesus stood up and announced to the woman that her sins were forgiven and that all she needed to do was to sin no longer.
Though seemingly short, this passage is full of important nuances and details that carry significant theological implications as we will see below. First, let’s take a look at the test that the Pharisees laid before Jesus to find something against him.
Adultery in the Law of Moses
The question that the Jews posed to Jesus was quite simple at first glance: this woman was caught committing adultery; should we obey the law of Moses and stone her or not? On the surface it appears that Jesus had only two choices: he could either command her to be stoned, in which case he would no longer be the forgiver of sins among the crowds (or so thought the Pharisees); or he could choose to pardon her and thus risk being viewed as a violator of the law, potentially resulting in his own death. The former choice would appear to go against everything Jesus had been teaching of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness of sins. The latter would place him in opposition not only of the law of Moses but of the law of God! In writing this passage, John relies on his audience being familiar with the law of Moses, so he does not expound on what the Pharisees claim. He leaves it to the reader to discern whether what the Pharisees said was in fact accurate. But since we are centuries removed from the time in which John penned these words, we would be well served to refresh our understanding of what the law of Moses actually says about adultery. For that we turn to the book of Leviticus.
In Leviticus 20:10 we read, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.” This same law is repeated once again in Deuteronomy 22:22. Thus it reads: “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Israel.” The emphasis I added here is to get you to notice that both the man and the woman must be stoned to death. In the gospel passage, did you notice anything missing? You got it! There was no mention of the man! The Pharisees had brought the woman only as John himself tells us, not to execute the law of Moses, but to trap Jesus in his own words. Now, we do not know exactly what happened to the man in the story. John does not tell us. But since the man was not brought with the woman, it is likely that the Pharisees seized the woman only and let the man go. John does not tell us that part because it is not relevant to the narrative. What John has in view in why the Pharisees brought the woman and how Jesus responded. What matters here is that the Pharisees sought a partial execution of the law to test Jesus instead of a full adherence to it to obey and please God.
Writing in the Dust
As it is always the case with the gospel writers, they never mention any detail, no matter how insignificant it seems, without good reason. We should remember that when the gospels were composed writing materials were quite costly. Whether writing on parchments (animal skins) or papyrus, these first-century writers had to be quite mindful of how much writing space they had or did not have. Thus, they only wrote down the things that truly mattered and could not be omitted.
One of the minute details that John records for us in this narrative is Jesus’s writing on the ground with his finger. Since it is consistently my approach to let Scripture interpret Scripture, I suspect that John is trying to point our attention to something significant in Scripture by mentioning this seemingly insignificant detail. As you will see in a moment this small detail carries important theological significance not only about the woman’s accusers but also about who Jesus is. So what is John trying to tell us here?
If you search the Scriptures for a reference about writing in the dust of the ground, you will find this intriguing verse in Jeremiah: “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 17:13). This fascinating reference of those who will be written in the dust because they turned away from the LORD may be viewed as the antithesis of those whose names will be written in the book of life because they turned to the LORD. Recall that returning to the dust from which he was taken was one of the first judgments pronounced against Adam—and the entire human race—as a result of his sin in the Garden of Eden. This was the LORD’s judgment on Adam: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19). Therefore, writing the disobedient in the dust simply means condemning them for their sins with the same judgment Adam received for his. In other words, if writing one’s name in the book of life means salvation, writing his name in the dust signifies eternal destruction. But how does this relate to Jesus’s writing in our story?
For starters, as I mentioned above, it is clear from the narrative in John that Jesus was writing in dust of the ground (“earth” in the Jeremiah verse above). What John is trying to signify to us in this passage is that the same way the LORD in the Old Testament condemned to destruction those who turned away from him, Jesus too was condemning the Jew who had come to put him to the test in this story. The scribes and the Pharisees who had brought the woman to Jesus had clearly gone astray from the LORD and his law. They had little interest in honoring the law of the LORD and a great desire to find something against Jesus to condemn him to death! Hiding behind the desire to do righteousness they were committing unrighteousness. Thus, they well deserved that their names be written in the dust as did their ancestors. But there is an even deeper significance to this nuanced detail.
If those who turned away from the LORD deserved to have their names written in the dust, by writing the Jews who were conspiring against him in the dust Jesus was declaring that he was one with the God of the Old Testament! Their hearts were “turned away” from him in the same way the hearts of their fathers were from the LORD in the days of Jeremiah. It now becomes easy to see that Jesus was equating himself with the LORD, the God of Israel. Through this small gesture, Jesus was using his finger to do more than the mere act of writing on the ground; he was pointing with his finger to his true identity. But if we read the passage even more closely, we will see that John did not waste any writing space when he recorded this even smaller detail for us: writing with his finger.
I am often intrigued by the gospel writers’ attention to detail. I find it astonishing in fact. Notice that it would have been sufficient for John to write that Jesus “wrote on the ground.” After all, how else would one write on the ground except with his finger? But that is not what John wrote. What he wrote was that Jesus “wrote with his finger on the ground.” Not only that, but he recorded this detail twice in identical language, repeated verbatim (see John 8:6, 8). Why did John feel so strongly about documenting this detail not once but twice? As always, the best thing to do is to search the Scriptures and locate where else we find reference of writing with one’s finger on the ground. You probably have guessed it by now: the answer—as always—is in the Old Testament. Turn with me to the book of Exodus.
The Finger of God
After Moses had spent forty days and forty nights up on Mount Sinai in the presence of the LORD receiving a series of commandments including the Ten Commandments and the instructions of building the tabernacle, we read this at the conclusion of the narrative: “And [the LORD] gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18; see also Deuteronomy 9:10). To provide his people Israel with both a pledge (material evidence) and a reminder of the covenant he had with them, the LORD gave Moses two physical tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written with the finger of God. This was akin to providing both parties of a contractual agreement with a written copy of the terms of the agreement. On those tablets the LORD established the terms of the covenant he had with Israel—meaning, the commandments they must obey. This also showed that, as the sovereign God, the LORD was the author of the law (the sole legislator) who has the authority to establish the law unilaterally. In other words, the Israelites did not get to co-author the law with the LORD. Instead, they were given the law they had to obey. The LORD is God; they were not!
If we compare this to the account we have in John, it becomes clear that Jesus was claiming to himself the same authority and sovereignty the LORD had in the Old Testament. By pointing out that Jesus was using his finger to write on the ground, John was essentially trying to tell his readers that as the Jews sought Jesus for judgment, through his silence, Jesus was reminding the Jews with the LORD’s act of writing in the Old Testament by re-enacting that same scene. They came to ask him for a verdict; he was reminding them that he is the judge when he wrote on the ground as the LORD wrote on the tablets of stone!
Before we conclude our discussion, I will return to the Jeremiah passage above for one last time to extrapolate one final theological significance not related to the deity of Christ this time but to that of the Holy Spirit.
The Living Water
Christians are often challenged to show from Scripture how the Holy Spirit is fully God just like Jesus and the Father. The Jeremiah passage I quoted above states that those who have turned away from the LORD would be written on the ground because “they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 17:13). The LORD is called “the fountain of the living water.” Is it coincidental that John pointed us to this Jeremiah passage by mentioning that Jesus wrote on the ground? If we look at the narrative of John a few verses back, we will see that in Scripture nothing is written without meaning and significance!
John 7:37 tells us that on the last day of the seven-day Feast of Tabernacle Jesus stood up and cried out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” This would be difficult to understand except that John expounds to us what Jesus meant: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). Thus, we understand that the living water referenced here in John in the words of Jesus is the Holy Spirit whom the believers were to receive on the Day of Pentecost. The “living water” is a New Testament title for the Holy Spirit. But as we have just read in Jeremiah, “the living water” is an Old Testament title for none other than the LORD himself. By juxtaposing the Jeremiah passage and this passage from John side by side, it becomes evident that the LORD of the Old Testament and the Holy Spirit are equal and one in essence. In chapter 7 John makes this obscure reference to the Holy Spirit being called “the living water,” which seems at first out of place. A few verses later he gives us another reference about Jesus writing on the ground with his finger, which, if traced, takes us to an Old Testament passage in Jeremiah that not only interprets the significance of Jesus’s action but also illuminates the earlier reference to “the living water.” In other words, John mentions details that lead us back to this Old Testament passage that explains both the significance of Jesus’s actions and his earlier, abstract mention of the Holy Spirit! This continuity in the narrative shows how the Bible is one complete book of strands closely knitted together, woven one with another. You can think of it as a building constructed of bricks one on top of the other. No unit can be removed from it and no unit can be understood in isolation of another.
Concluding Thoughts
This passage is not merely a historical account or theological puzzle—it is a mirror held up to our own hearts, challenging us to consider our responses to sin, grace, and transformation. With that, I will leave you with these final thoughts for reflection.
1. How do you respond to the sins of others?
The Pharisees sought to condemn the woman, driven by self-righteousness and a desire to test Jesus rather than a true commitment to God's justice. Their actions invite you to reflect: Are you, too, quick to judge others while ignoring your own sins?
Jesus’s response models a balance of truth and grace. He did not dismiss the woman’s sin but he did not condemn her either. Instead, he called her to repentance with compassion.
- Do you approach others with humility, recognizing our shared brokenness, or do you stand as accusers, forgetting that you, too, have been forgiven much? Consider someone in your life who has stumbled. How might you extend Christ-like compassion while gently encouraging them toward restoration?
2. Do we recognize Jesus as both the forgiver of sins and the righteous judge?
In this story, Jesus demonstrates his authority as the ultimate judge, but he also reveals his heart as the forgiver of sins. He does not shy away from the demands of righteousness, yet his priority is the woman’s restoration rather than her destruction.
This dual role of Jesus as both judge and savior invites us to respond with reverence and gratitude. I recognize that we always hear preached the love, grace, and mercy of God but we seldom hear it said that God is a fearsome judge and a consuming fire. But let me be the one to remind you that you cannot separate God’s mercy from his justice; the same Jesus who forgives sin also calls us to live in holiness.
- Do you see Jesus as your personal judge and savior? How does this understanding shape your relationship with him? Spend time in prayer, thanking Jesus for his mercy and asking him to guide you in living a life that reflects his holiness.
3. Have we experienced the living water of the Holy Spirit, transforming us from within?
The reference to “living water” points to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin, renews our hearts and empowers us to live in obedience. Jesus didn’t simply pardon the woman; he called her to leave her life of sin. True forgiveness always invites transformation. As believers, the Holy Spirit is our source of living water, cleansing us and enabling us to walk in newness of life.
- Are you allowing him to work within us, or are you resisting his transformative power?
- Are there areas in your life where you still struggle to fully surrender to the Spirit’s leading?
- Meditate on John 7:37-39 and Jeremiah 17:13. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh, producing the fruit of repentance and righteousness in your life.
Let me say that this has turned out to be a much longer article that I had intended. But if you have stayed with me this far, that is probably a sign that your soul is hungry for God’s word. Writing articles like this is edifying to me, because it motivates me to study the word of God and search the Scriptures as our Lord has commanded us. I hope you have found this article edifying and encouraging for you to go back to your Bible and eat it up!
I pray that this story move us beyond mere admiration for Jesus’s wisdom; let it inspire you to live in a way that mirrors his compassion, humility, and truth. May we all be people who, like this forgiven woman, hear Jesus’s words, “Go and sin no more,” and respond with lives that honor him. May the love of God the Father, and the grace of his Son Jesus, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
