John 8:10,11 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

When Jesus saw none but the woman None of those who had been soliciting his judgment, but only the woman they had brought before him; he said, Where are those thine accusers? Is there no one remaining to bear witness against thee? hath no man condemned thee Hath no judicial sentence been passed upon thee? She said, No man, Lord: Jesus said, Neither do I condemn thee Neither do I take upon me to pass any such sentence, nor to order thee to be punished at this time: but thou must not therefore think that I approve thy conduct. Thou hast committed a great sin, and I charge thee to beware of committing it any more. Let this deliverance lead thee to repentance. “The English word condemn,” says Dr. Campbell, “is used with so great a latitude of signification, for blaming, disapproving, as well as passing sentence against, that I thought it better, in order to avoid occasion of mistaking, to use a periphrasis, which hits exactly the meaning of the Greek word κατακρινω, in these two verses.” He therefore renders the expression in the former verse, Hath no man passed sentence upon thee? and in the latter, Neither do I pass sentence on thee. “In this transaction Jesus appears unspeakably great, having displayed on the occasion a degree of wisdom and knowledge, power and goodness, vastly more than human. His wisdom he showed in defending himself against the malicious attacks of his enemies; his knowledge, in discovering the invisible state of their minds; his power, in making use of their own secret thoughts and convictions, to disappoint their crafty intentions; and his goodness, in pitying, and not punishing instantly, one who had been guilty of an atrocious act of wickedness.” Macknight.

John 8:10-11

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her,Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her,Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.