Alcuin of York's Commentary on John 8:1-11

The Woman Caught in Adultery

Summary Statement:

"A woman caught in adultery and brought before Him, not condemned by her accusers, He Himself absolved on the condition that she sin no more."

---

Jn 8:1-2

"After this, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and at dawn He came again into the temple."

The Mount of Olives indeed signifies the height of the Lord's piety and mercy. For in Greek, "mercy" is called elaion (ἐλαιών, "olive grove"), and olive oil itself is accustomed to bring relief to weary and aching limbs. Moreover, the fact that oil both excels in virtue and preeminence, and that whatever liquid you mix with it, it immediately rises above and floats upon it, fittingly suggests the grace of heavenly mercy—of which it is written: "The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 144:9).

The time of dawn also signifies the rising of this same grace, at whose arising, when the shadow of the Law had been removed, the light of truth was to be revealed. Jesus goes up to the Mount of Olives to proclaim that the stronghold of mercy resides in Himself. He comes again at dawn into the temple to signify that He offers and provides this same mercy to be revealed to the faithful in His temple, together with the light of the New Testament.

"And all the people came to Him, and sitting down, He taught them."

The Lord's sitting suggests the humility of His incarnation, through which He deigned to show us mercy. It is well said that "when Jesus was sitting and teaching, the people came to Him," because after He, drawing near through His incarnation, became man, His word was more readily received by many. By "many," I say, His word was received; for by many more it was scorned with proud impiety. Indeed, "the meek heard and were glad" (Psalm 33:2).

Jn 8:3

"Then the Jews, testing Him, brought a woman caught in adultery, asking what He commanded to be done concerning her."

Since Moses had commanded concerning such a woman (Leviticus 20) that she be stoned, they reasoned: if He Himself should decree that she be stoned, they might mock Him as having forgotten the mercy He had always taught before, which bids us overlook the faults of our neighbors; but if He forbade her to be stoned, they would gnash their teeth against Him and, as though He were an abettor of crimes and contrary to the Law, condemn Him as deserving punishment.

Jn 8:6

"But Jesus, bending down, was writing on the ground with His finger."

By Jesus' bending down, His humility is expressed; by the finger—which is flexible through the jointing of its bones—the subtlety of discernment is signified; moreover, by the earth, the human heart is indicated, which is accustomed to yield fruit either of good or of evil actions.

Therefore, when the Lord was asked to pass judgment on the sinner, He does not immediately give judgment, but first, bending down, writes on the ground with His finger, and only then does He judge what He was earnestly asked to decide. In this, He instructs us typologically: that whenever we undertake to judge anyone by reproving them, we should first humbly return to our own conscience and carefully examine it with the finger of discernment, discerning by diligent examination what in it pleases or displeases the Creator—according to the Apostle's word: "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1).

Jn 8:7

"But when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them: 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.'"

Because the Scribes and Pharisees were laying traps for the Lord on both sides, thinking He would prove either merciless in judging or unjust, He, foreseeing their deceit, passes through their schemes "like a thread through a spider's web" and demonstrates throughout both the judgment of justice and the gentleness of piety.

Behold the temperance of mercy: "Let him who is without sin among you"; behold again the justice of judgment: "be the first to cast a stone at her." It is as if He had said: "If Moses commanded you to stone such a woman, see that he commanded not sinners, but the just, to do this. First fulfill among yourselves the justice of the Law, and then, with innocent hands and pure hearts, rush to stone the guilty. First accomplish the spiritual precepts of the Law—faith, mercy, and charity—and then turn to judging carnal matters."

After giving this judgment, the Lord again bent down and wrote on the ground. Indeed, according to the custom of human behavior, it may be understood that the Lord, before the wicked tempters, chose to bend down and write on the earth so that, turning His face elsewhere, He might give them freedom to depart—or rather, grant them free exit (as Bede notes: "the freedom to depart"), since He foresaw that, struck by His response, they would depart more quickly than ask further questions.

Jn 8:9

"Then, hearing this, they went out one by one, beginning with the elders."

But figuratively, He admonishes us in that He wrote on the ground both before and after pronouncing sentence: that both before we rebuke a neighbor who has sinned, and after we have rendered to them the service of due correction, we should examine ourselves with worthy humility, lest perchance we ourselves be entangled in the same faults we reprehend in others, or in any other crimes.

For it may easily happen that one who has judged a murderer guilty of death may himself, in God's sight, be found guilty of fraternal death through hatred. Similarly, one who accuses a brother of fornication may not see the crime of pride in himself. Therefore, the judge of another's crime is commanded to write with the finger of discernment upon his own heart, lest he be found guilty in himself.

What remedy, then, remains for us in such dangers? What hope of salvation, unless, when we see another sinning, we immediately bend down—i.e., humbly consider how lowly we are by reason of our fragile condition, if divine piety does not sustain us? Let us examine ourselves; let us write on the earth with the finger—i.e., with careful discernment let us weigh whether, with blessed Job, we can say: "My heart has not reproved me in all my life" (Job 27:6).

Well does He who bent down write on the earth, and who, standing upright, utters words of mercy: because what He promised through fellowship with human weakness, He bestows upon men as a gift of piety through the power of divine might.

Jn 8:10-11

"Jesus straightened up and said to her: 'Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.'"

No one dared to condemn the sinner, because each had begun to perceive in himself what he recognized as more deserving of condemnation. But since He scattered the crowd of accusers by pronouncing the weight of justice, let us now see with what gift of mercy He lifts up the accused.

It continues: "Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.'" Because He is merciful and kind, He forgives past sins; because He is just and loves justice, He forbids her to sin any longer.

But because some might doubt whether Jesus—whom they knew to be a true man—could forgive sins, He deigns to show more openly what He can do by divine power. For after repelling the wickedness of the tempters, and after absolving the sinner's guilt, He spoke again... (see Jn 8:12-59)

CONTINUE