What Old Testament laws relate to the situation in John 8:6? Setting the Scene John 8:6 finds the scribes and Pharisees testing Jesus by bringing before Him “a woman caught in adultery.” They appeal to “the Law,” asserting that she should be stoned. Several Old Testament statutes lie behind their claim. Core Commandment Against Adultery • Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit adultery.” • Deuteronomy 5:18 restates the same. These passages establish adultery as sin and provide the moral backdrop for later judicial laws. Mandated Penalty for Adultery • Leviticus 20:10 – “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.” • Deuteronomy 22:22 – “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die.” Key observations: – Death is required. – Both participants are liable, not just the woman. Expanded Cases of Marital Unfaithfulness • Deuteronomy 22:23-24 – Betrothed virgin violated in town; both are stoned if consensual. • Deuteronomy 22:25-27 – If the assault occurs in open country, only the man dies because the woman could not cry for help. These details show the Law’s concern for context, consent, and justice. Procedural Safeguards Before Execution • Deuteronomy 17:6 – “On the testimony of two or three witnesses, a man shall be put to death.” • Deuteronomy 17:7 – “The hands of the witnesses are to be first against him to put him to death.” • Deuteronomy 19:15 – One witness is insufficient; corroboration is essential. • Deuteronomy 19:16-19 – False witnesses receive the penalty they sought for the accused. Thus any capital sentence required multiple eyewitnesses willing to initiate the stoning themselves. Equity, Impartiality, and Mercy Principles • Exodus 23:2 – “You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing.” • Exodus 23:7 – “Stay far from a false accusation.” • Leviticus 19:15 – “Do not pervert justice…do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich.” These verses remind judges to safeguard fairness and resist mob pressure. What the Accusers Overlooked • They presented only the woman, ignoring the man, contrary to Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22. • They offered no witnesses willing to cast the first stones as Deuteronomy 17:7 requires. • Their motive was entrapment, violating Exodus 23:1-2 and Deuteronomy 19:16-19. Summary The immediate statutes behind the claim in John 8:6 are Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22-24, which prescribe death—typically by stoning—for both partners in adultery. Equally important are Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and 19:15-19, which lay down procedural safeguards of multiple witnesses and judicial integrity. By referencing these laws, the accusers hoped to force Jesus into either denying Mosaic authority or authorizing an execution Rome might forbid. Jesus’ response brilliantly upheld the Law’s righteousness while exposing their selective, unjust application of it. |
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