in John 8 1-11, what do you think Jesus was writing on the ground?

Question

why wasn't it recorded? Just curious what people think...

Answer 1

Scripture does not record what was written in the sand. Not because it was inconsequential, but because what He wrote was not as important as how he wrote it! What Jesus is doing is sending up a visual flag that will cause us to cross reference His action with an event found in the book of Exodus. Let us look again at the physical reaction of Jesus and see if we can decode His actions.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. John 8:6

Later in this same chapter, the Pharisees were angry at how well He handled the adulterous woman situation. When they questioned Him, Jesus bore witness of His deity by calling Himself the "I AM" that preceded Abraham's birth. Looking at the above scripture, let us not be concerned with what was written in the sand, but how it is written– with His finger.

When Moses asked God what His name was, the voice from the burning bush said, "I AM" This same God wrote on earthen material the tablets of the Law which included the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" For our prophetic flag, let us not look at what was written in the stone, but how it was written.

And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. Exodus 31:18

With His finger, the "I AM" wrote the Law upon an earthen medium. These tablets of stone were given to Moses who brought them down from Mount Sinai to the children of Israel. This was done, not just one time, but twice. In our flag, Jesus also performs the same writing upon an earthen medium with His finger; not once, but a second time as well.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:7-8

Since Jesus was to be the Lamb without spot—or without sin—only He would be qualified to throw the stone. By His actions we see that Jesus is saying to the religious leaders, "Don't talk to Me about keeping the Law, I wrote the Law!"

Answer 2

Some say He wrote down the sins of the people that were about to stone the woman. But that would had been a lot writing, don't you think. Instead I think he wrote the 10 Commandments. They show people what sin is (Romans 7:7,1 John 3:4), and it stops them from justifying themselves.(Romans 3:19). Besides, what else do we know about in the Bible that God wrote with His finger?

Answer 3

I will not speculate on what He wrote because I have no idea. He left that part of the account out of the Scriptures for a reason and I choose to ponder that fact over what he might have written.

So, why did He not tell the world what He wrote?

Edit: I have a head cold and I just realized that i did a lousy job of explaining my thought, so I give up. haha

Anyway, if anything it sure does make for a good mystery that causes us to all ponder this all important story for a good length of time, which might have been one of God's strategies for leaving it out though I think there is far more to it than that.

---Off to get a tissue now.

Answer 4

The Bible doesn't say, but there are several traditions
One is that it was the sins of the men accusing her
Another is that it was the name of the man she was sleeping with (who was a big man in the community)

Personally I like the idea of Jesus just doodling in the sand. The Bible doesn't mention what he was writing so it probably wasn't important to the story.

But it is interesting to think about.

Answer 5

What Jesus wrote on the ground was the sins committed by the people who wanted to stone the woman. Whoever read what Jesus wrote was seeing his/her own sins reflected, thats why they had to leave in a hurry without casting a stone.

Answer 6

Some scholars, and myself included, believe that Jesus could have possibly been writting the sins of Mary's accusers; thus creating no accusers to accuse Mary of the sins that she committed(being promiscuous).

After Jesus did this; the men who accused Mary soon left the scene and therefore could no longer accuse her; for Jesus said that one that has committed NO SIN cast the first stone, yet we read in text that no accuser could accuse.

Jesus thereafter forgave Mary; and told her to continue in no sin. Mary became a close follower to Christ; her sins being forgiven made her into a new being......through Christ.

Answer 7

10 Commandments? Sins He knew they had done? Names of mistresses? Maybe He was just doodling just to show how much He cared that they were talking to Him. Who knows? The awsome thing is how great His response to them was. He never broke Jewish Law and still kept the woman from being stoned. Jesus was smooth like that.

Answer 8

Nobody knows. Some people assume He was writing the names of sinners that were getting ready to stone her.

That's one question I will ask Him, when I meet Him face to face.

Answer 9

I would think that he was writing as he talked saying to the woman go and sin no more and telling her that her sins were forgiven. It was some type of landmark to his sayings cause no other could condem the woman cause they too had sins.

Answer 10

I have studied this very much, being a theology major and the truth is that many will make a guess at it, but no one knows for sure. so please do not get caught up in any speculation as to what it may be.