Chapter VIII.
1. But Jesus went etc. Having set forth the refutation of those rising up through power, here is set forth the refutation of those plotting through malice. Because they could not kill him, they sought to find an occasion to catch him in his speech. And therefore they proposed a question to catch the Lord: but they themselves were on the contrary caught and confounded. And their refutation is described in this order. For first is set forth Christ's instruction; second, the malicious question of the Pharisees: third, Christ's prudent response: fourth, the confusion of the Pharisees: fifth, the liberation of the woman.
2. (Verse 1.). Therefore first is introduced Christ's instruction, which was diligent, public, and authoritative. Diligent, whence he says: But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives: because he was lodging in Bethany in the house of Mary and Martha; Luke twenty-one:
"During the days he was teaching in the temple, but going out at night he stayed on the mount called Olivet."
3. (Verse 2.). And at dawn he came again to the temple. Diligence is noted in this, that he came at dawn; Wisdom six: "She anticipates those who desire her, so that she may show herself to them first," and Proverbs eight: "Those who watch for me in the morning shall find me." It was also public: whence he says: And all the people came to him: Luke twenty-one: "All the people came early in the morning," that is, went in the morning, "to him in the temple to hear him." It was also authoritative: therefore he says: And sitting down he taught them: sitting, because it belongs to the master to sit: Matthew twenty-three: "Upon the chair of Moses the scribes and Pharisees have sat; " they sat, namely to teach, and so also did he.
4. (Verse 3.). They bring to him etc. Here is touched upon the second point, namely the malicious question. The question was about a woman caught in adultery, whether she was to be stoned according to the command of the Law: on account of which he says: The scribes and Pharisees bring to him a woman caught in adultery: therefore the scribes and Pharisees, because they were more cunning and more envious: the scribes envied his wisdom, but the Pharisees his goodness; Luke eleven: "The Pharisees and lawyers began to press him vehemently," etc. And they set her in the midst, because they wished to inquire about her.
5. (Verse 4.). And they said to him: Master, they say this by way of flattery, so that they might deceive and conceal themselves: Chrysostom: "They call him Master, whose disciples they do not wish to be." They said something similar in Matthew twenty-two: "Master, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth." This woman was just now caught in adultery, by the evidence of the deed, or by witnesses.
6. (Verse 5.). But in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women: Deuteronomy twenty-two: "If a man has lain with his neighbor's wife, both shall die," that is, the adulterer and the adulteress. What therefore do you say? They asked this not from zeal for inquiry, but from guile to deceive: and this the Evangelist expresses:
7. (Vers. 6.). But this they said, testing him, that they might be able to accuse him. Whence to those questioning in a similar manner the Lord responded, Matthew twenty-two: "Why do you test me, hypocrites?" That they might accuse him, as in the Passion; Matthew twenty-seven: "And when he was accused by the elders and chief priests, he answered nothing."
But Jesus, bending down . Here the third point is touched upon, namely Christ's prudent response. For he responded prudently, because with great moderation. For he was moderate, not hastening his judgment. Whence he says: Jesus, bending down, wrote with his finger on the ground, namely waiting, if perchance they might come to their senses from their deceitful question: he wrote with his finger, to indicate that he had written the Law with his finger, Deuteronomy nine and Exodus thirty-one. He was also moderate in passing judgment, because he neither inclined to the rigor of the Law, so as to say she should be killed, nor did he contradict the Law, so as to give them occasion to accuse him: whence he says:
8. (Vers. 7.). But when they persisted in questioning him, and would not desist from their folly: he raised himself up and said to them: Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone at her. Having bent down through mercy, he raised himself up, through justice: and said to them, pronouncing the sentence: He who is without etc., inflicting the punishment. In which moderate response he confuted them as hypocrites, according to that passage of Matthew seven: "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not see the beam in your own eye? Cast out first the beam from your own eye, and then you will see to cast out the speck from your brother's eye."
He was also moderate after the pronouncement of the sentence, whence he says:
9. (Vers. 8.). And again bending down, he wrote on the ground, so that he might give those who were confounded a place to depart without shame. Whence Bede: "He wished to bend down before his tempters and write on the ground, so that, turning his face to something else, he might give them free departure, since he foresaw that those struck by his response would depart sooner than ask further questions"; Jeremiah seventeen: "All who forsake you shall be confounded: those who depart from you shall be written in the earth"; Jeremiah twenty-two: "O earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord: Write this man as barren."
10. (Vers. 9.). Now when they heard this, etc. Here the fourth point is noted, namely the confusion of the Pharisees, which was made manifest in their dispersal; therefore he says: Now when they heard this, namely, so prudent and just a response, they went out one by one, beginning from the elders. Those who had come gathered together departed scattered, and the elders went out first, because they themselves had been first in guilt, and therefore also first in flight: Daniel 13, "Iniquity went forth from the elder judges, who seemed to govern the people"; and all departed, because all were confounded. Whence he says: And Jesus remained alone, and the woman standing in the midst. He remained alone, who seeks a place of solitude: Hosea 2: "I will lead her into the wilderness and there I will speak to her heart"; or because he alone was the one offended; the Psalm: "Against you alone have I sinned and done evil before you." Augustine: "Two remained: misery and mercy"; and because mercy looks upon misery, therefore he adds:
11. (Vers. 10.). But Jesus, raising himself up, in which the fifth point is noted, namely the merciful liberation of the accused woman. And because mercy runs together with justice and is not against justice, the Lord asks her about condemnation and accusation. Therefore he says: Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you ? He asks two things, and because the one is evident from the departure of the accusers, the woman answers the question about condemnation.
12. (Vers. 11.). She said: No one, Lord, supply: has condemned me; it is not for man to condemn; Matthew 7: "Do not condemn," etc.; and therefore I am left to you. And there follows the merciful liberation of the woman; whence he says: But Jesus said: Neither will I condemn you: behold, mercy: Romans 8: "God who justifies, who is it that shall condemn?" Go and sin no more: behold, justice, which so absolves from guilt that it nevertheless does not give liberty to return to guilt; Sirach 5: "Mercy and wrath quickly draw near from him, and his wrath looks upon sinners." Whence Augustine: "Let those who love gentleness in the Lord take heed, and let them fear his truth; for indeed the Lord is sweet and upright. Do you love that he is sweet? Fear that he is upright. As one who is gentle he says: I was silent; but as one who is upright he says: I will speak as a woman in labor, " Isaiah 42. Therefore he adds: Sin no more.
Questions.
13. Question I. But a doubt arises here: since this question could easily have been determined from the Law, and one who tests ought to ask doubtful things, whence is it that the deceitful Pharisees proposed such a question to the Lord?
Some respond that the whole thing seems to have been done by human contrivance; whence they said that this was inserted into the Gospel of John, just as the story of Susanna into Daniel. As testimony for this matter they adduced that Chrysostom makes no mention of this; whence he leaps to that passage: Again Jesus spoke, etc.
But Augustine and our expositors explain it as part of the sequence of the Gospel.
As for the fact that Chrysostom says nothing about it, I do not know the reason. Some say that it was not found in the ancient Greek books, because John added it after the Gospel was completed.
Therefore it must be said that the Pharisees envied the Lord because He was praised for meekness and justice together, according to that verse of the Psalm: For truth and meekness and justice. Therefore they propose a question in which He would necessarily have to incline toward the rigor of justice against meekness, so that He would be considered harsh, or contradict the justice of the Law. And they had contrived it as though insoluble, so that whichever side He took, they would obtain their purpose; but the Lord wisely responded to the person, not to the argument.
14. Question II. Likewise it is asked about the fact that the Lord was writing on the ground during the delivery of His sentence.
1. For it seemed a childish act, because it was not lasting, nor could anyone read it. 2. Likewise, why did He write with His finger? 3. Likewise, what was He writing? I respond: The moral reason why He wrote before the sentence and after on the ground is to teach us, as Bede says, that "before we rebuke a sinning neighbor, and after we have rendered the ministry of correction, we should examine ourselves with a worthy investigation of humility, lest perchance we be entangled either in the same sins that we rebuke, or in others." Another reason is to show that a sentence is to be delivered with deliberation and first written down, and that words are to be measured according to the order of law.
The third reason is to show that He condemns unwillingly, and that a man ought to deliver a sentence of condemnation unwillingly and with sorrow.