John 8:1

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 …

Our Lord at the time of His passion used to spend the day in Jerusalem, preaching in the temple, and performing miracles, and return in the evening to Bethany, where He lodged with the sisters of Lazarus. Thus on the last day of the feast, having, according to His wont, preached the whole day in the temple, in the evening He went to the mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives designates the height of the Lord's benevolence and mercy, for in Greek "mercy" is called oleos, and an olive plantation is called oleon, and also because anointing with oil usually soothes weary and aching limbs. But oil is preeminent in power …

After having treated of the origin of the doctrine of Christ, the Evangelist here considers its power. Now the doctrine of Christ has the power both to enlighten and to give life, because his words are spirit and life. So first, he treats of the …

Now they said this, trying him, that they might have ground for accusing him. But Jesus, casting down his eyes, wrote with the finger on the ground. And as they persisted in asking him, he lifted up his eyes, and said to them, He who is without sin amongst you, let him first cast a stone at her.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:81%@v5-7

): He went unto the mount of olives; whether to some friend's house, or to some booth pitched there, now at the feast of tabernacles, is not certain; whether he rested there, or, as some think, continued all night in prayer to God, we are not told.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.

Mount of Olives - The mountain about a mile directly east of Jerusalem. See the notes at Mat 21:1. This was the place in which he probably often passed the night when attending the feasts at Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane, to which he was accustomed to resort Joh 18:2, was on the western side of that mountain, and Bethany, the abode of Martha and Mary, on its east side, Joh 11:1.

The narrative which begins the eighth chapter of John's Gospel is of a rather peculiar character. In some respects it stands alone. There is nothing quite like it in the whole range of the four Gospels. In every age some scrupulous minds have stumbled at the passage, and have doubted whether it was ever written by John at all. But the justice of such scruples is a point that cannot easily be proved.

The narrative which begins the eighth chapter of John's Gospel is of a rather peculiar character. In some respects it stands alone. There is nothing quite like it in the whole range of the four Gospels. In every age some scrupulous minds have stumbled at the passage, and have doubted whether it was ever written by John at all. But the justice of such scruples is a point that cannot easily be proved. To suppose, as some have thought, that the narrative before us palliates the sin of adultery, and exhibits our Lord as making light of the seventh commandment, is surely a great mistake. There is nothing in the passage to justify such an assertion. There is not a sentence in it to warrant our saying anything of the kind. Let us calmly weigh the matter, and examine the contents of the passage. Our Lord's enemies brought before Him a woman guilty of adultery, and asked him to say what punishment she deserved. We are distinctly told that they asked the question, "to trap Him." They hoped to entrap Him into saying something for which they might accuse Him. They fancied perhaps that He who preached pardon and salvation to "publicans and harlots" might be induced to say something which would either contradict the law of Moses, or His own words. Our Lord knew the hearts of the malicious questioners before Him, and dealt with them with perfect wisdom, as He had done in the case of the "tribute-money." (Matt. 22:17.) He refused to be a "judge" and lawgiver among them, and specially in a case which their own law had already decided. He gave them at first no answer at all. But "when they continued asking," our Lord silenced them with a withering and heart-searching reply. "He that is without sin among you," he said, "let him first cast a stone at her." He did not say that the woman had not sinned, or that her sin was a trifling and excusable one.