08/27/2026
This scene is another misunderstood and misquoted passage in Scripture, misused to claim, “See? Yeshua went against the Law.” But did He?
The scribes and Pharisees drag a woman caught in adultery into the open. Publicly exposed, with no dignity left. Then they say, “In the Torah, Moses commanded us to stone such women.”
But they are not presenting Torah honestly.
Lev 20:10 says that both the man and the woman involved in adultery are guilty. Yet only the woman is brought forward. If she was caught “in the very act,” where is the man?
Something is clearly wrong.
A death sentence also required two or three witnesses. Those witnesses had to agree, testify truthfully and be the first to carry out the sentence (Deut 17:6–7; 19:15–19).
Yet this was never an honest attempt to seek justice. John tells us their purpose plainly:
“They said this to test Him, so that they might have grounds to accuse Him.”
They were using the woman and the Torah as weapons against Yeshua.
Now watch what He does.
He does not say, “Moses was wrong.”
He does not abolish the commandment or declare adultery acceptable.
He says, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
This does not mean Torah required every witness to be completely sinless. If that were the standard, no human court could ever judge anyone. Yeshua was confronting these particular accusers. Were they truthful witnesses acting righteously, or guilty participants in an unjust trap?
The witnesses were supposed to cast the first stones. Instead, one by one, they left.
Without valid accusers and testimony, the required basis for condemnation was gone.
Then Yeshua asks the woman:
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, Lord.”
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”
He does not pretend that she had done nothing wrong. He calls it sin and commands her to leave it behind. But He refuses to participate in a corrupt proceeding designed to trap Him rather than establish truth.
This is not Yeshua opposing Torah. It is Yeshua exposing people who quoted Torah while disregarding its demands for truth, impartiality and righteous judgment.
That fits His own words: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Mat 5:17, TLV).
Many people approach this passage with conclusions they were taught long before they examined the Torah itself. I once did too.
But slow down and read what is actually written. This passage does not show Yeshua rescuing someone from the cruelty of His Father’s Law. It shows Him confronting accusers who were willing to misuse that Law for their own purposes.
He upheld truth, exposed hypocrisy, showed mercy and still called the woman to stop sinning.
