Discovery BoxJohn 8:5-7 
Context8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death 1 such women. 2 What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against 3 him.) 4 Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 5 8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight 6 and replied, 7 “Whoever among you is guiltless 8 may be the first to throw a stone at her.”
1 sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.
2 sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.
3 tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”
4 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.
5 tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).
6 tn Or “he straightened up.”
7 tn Grk “and said to them.”
8 tn Or “sinless.”
