The Woman Caught in Adultery
A person in the Bible. Also called Woman Taken in Adultery, The Adulterous Woman, Pericope Adulterae.
| Classification | Biblical figure |
|---|---|
| Era | 1st century, during the public ministry of Jesus |
| Related Figures | Jesus Christ, the scribes, the Pharisees |
| Biblical References | John 7:53–8:11 |
The woman caught in adultery is an unnamed woman who appears in John 7:53–8:11. She is the central figure in the account in which Jesus told her accusers, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Biblical Account
The account appears in the Gospel of John 7:53–8:11, and the woman's name is not recorded. While Jesus was teaching in the temple early in the morning, the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman taken in adultery and set her in the midst. They said that Moses in the law had commanded that such a woman be stoned, and they asked Jesus for his judgment (John 8:4-5). The text explains that the question was a test intended to give them grounds to accuse him (John 8:6).
Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. When they continued to question him, he said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). The people then went out one by one, beginning with the eldest. Jesus asked the woman who remained whether anyone had condemned her, and she answered that no one had. Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).
Significance Within Scripture
The scene is read as a classic account of the meeting point between the judgment of the law and the forgiveness of Jesus. Jesus did not reject the law, that is, the commandments of the Old Testament. At the same time, he exposed the sin of those who condemned the woman, and in forgiving her he also charged her not to sin again. For this reason the passage is frequently cited to explain the relationship between law and gospel and between grace and repentance.
Interpretation and Points of Discussion
Textual Question
The passage is absent from several of the earliest major Greek manuscripts. In some manuscripts it appears elsewhere in the Gospel of John or after Luke 21. Many scholars therefore regard it not as part of the original text of John but as an early tradition that was added later. Several Korean Bible translations mark this with brackets or marginal notes.
Others, by contrast, regard it as an ancient tradition recounting an actual event, and some argue that it was originally part of the Gospel of John. Most churches read and preach the passage as part of the biblical text.
What Was Written on the Ground
The text does not reveal what Jesus wrote on the ground. Some interpreters suggest that he wrote the sins of the accusers, while others connect the act with Jeremiah 17:13, but all such interpretations are speculative.
Popular Traditions and Questions
A popular tradition identifies the woman with Mary Magdalene, but this identification has no basis in Scripture. The text also does not explain why the man who committed adultery with her was not brought forward, a point often discussed as a question about the fairness of the accusation.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this figure is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korea, the saying "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone" is widely quoted even outside the church. In Korean churches it is often used in exhortations not to condemn others and in sermons on forgiveness and new beginnings, sometimes alongside passages such as Luke 6:37-42. Sunday school lesson materials also use it as a story to teach the love and forgiveness of Jesus.
See also 8
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