What Old Testament laws are referenced in John 8:5 regarding punishment for adultery? Setting the Scene in John 8:5 • The accusers remind Jesus, “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman.” Their charge points back to specific Mosaic statutes on adultery. Core Old Testament Statutes Behind the Charge “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.” – Establishes the death penalty for both partners in adultery. “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both the man who lay with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” – Repeats the death sentence, emphasizing removal of sin from the covenant community. “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man encounters her in the city and lies with her, you shall bring both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death… So you must purge the evil from among you.” – Specifies stoning at the city gate when the woman is betrothed and the act occurs in the city, giving the textual basis for “stone such a woman.” Why Stoning Is Mentioned Specifically • Leviticus 20:10 mandates death but does not list a method. • Deuteronomy 22:23-24 explicitly prescribes stoning, so the accusers combine the general death penalty with the stoning method described for a betrothed virgin. • By quoting “stone,” they lean on the Deuteronomy passage to justify a public execution. Notable Details the Accusers Overlooked • Both passages require the man to face the same penalty, yet only the woman is brought. • Deuteronomy 22:24’s stoning clause applies to a betrothed virgin caught in the city who does not cry out—details the text in John 8 does not provide. • Their selective citation highlights a misuse of God’s Law for entrapment rather than righteous judgment. Key Takeaways • John 8:5 draws directly from Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22-24. • The Law consistently calls for equal accountability of both adulterous partners. • The demand for stoning rests on the specific Deuteronomy statute, though the broader Mosaic code prescribes death in any form for adultery. |
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