CHAPTER VIII

Verse 1. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, avoiding the night attack.

Verse 2. And in the morning he came to the church, and all the people went to him, and sat down and taught them.6 He here calls men those who said, This is truly a prophet, and those who said, This is the Christ; but the Jews, indignant at this, see how they are deceitful.

Verses 3-4. And the scribes and the Pharisee brought to Him a woman in adultery, and set her in the midst, and said to Him, "Teacher, this woman is now in adultery."7 Now (επ αυτοφωρψ – at the scene of the crime) means – openly, openly, so that he cannot object to anything.

Verses 5-6. And in the law Moses commanded us to stone such as these: but what sayest thou; And this was the decision to tempt Him, that they might have what they would say, Nan... 8 Knowing that Jesus Christ is merciful and compassionate, they thought that he would spare his wife, and thus they would have the accusation against him of unlawfully sparing one who by law should be stoned.

Verse 6... And Jesus bow down, writing with his finger on the ground, not laying it down.1 This is often done by those who do not wish to answer those who ask about anything inappropriate and unseemly. Knowing their wickedness, Jesus Christ continued to write on earth and pretended not to pay attention to what they were saying.

Verse 7. As you are diligent in questioning Him, lift yourself up to them, saying, Who is without sin in you, first turn the stone against you.2 Behold the wisdom of Him Who is Wisdom Itself; how skillfully He exposed their wickedness. See how He fulfilled the law and spared the woman. He commanded the one of them who was without sin to start stoning her, knowing that all were not sinless.

Verse 8. And bow down, writing on the ground,3 so that they may be ashamed of being so easily exposed, since Jesus Christ did not even look at them, and that while He was busy writing, they might depart before they were subjected to more obvious condemnation. Jesus Christ spared them also because of His great goodness.

Verse 9. And they, having heard and rebuked their consciences, went forth one by one, beginning from the elders to the last...,4 since no one could say of himself that he was sinless.

Verses 9-10. And there is only one Jesus, and a woman in the midst of the being. And Jesus ascended, and when he saw not a single woman, he said to her, "Woman, where is the essence, who is against you; Who shall condemn thee?5 They departed, and left the woman untouched, and consequently uncondemned in that which they also found in themselves; otherwise they would have held it.

Verse 11. And she said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, I do not condemn thee... 6 If they, men, have not condemned you, how much more do I, God and the Lawgiver, condemn you not.

Verse 11... Go and sin not.7 Such publicity and shame in front of so many witnesses was a sufficient punishment, especially when Jesus Christ knew that she had repented with all her heart.

Verse 12. And Jesus said to them, saying, "I am the light of the world...,8 as enlightening the minds of men, and leading from error to truth, from sin to virtue, as illuminating and gladdening their souls; we spoke about this above in the interpretation of the same Gospel, where it is written: "And life was light by man" (John 1:4). Jesus Christ said this because of the different opinions of the people about Him.

Verse 12... Walk in me, and walk in darkness... 9 errors and sin.