Jesus writing in the dirt

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In John 8, when the woman caught in adultery was brought to him and they asked what should be done with her, Jesus first writes in the dirt ( or sand). What is the symbolism of this? I have never understood this part of the story.
 
I don’t know if there’s meant to be any symbolism or not; but a line in the Old Testament could possibly have a connection:

*Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; **those who turn away *from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.

compare to:

*John 8:8-9 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and **Jesus was left alone *with the woman standing before him.
 
I’ve heard some say that it’s possible he was writing down the sins of the would-be “stoners” (for lack of a better word).
 
coco2 said:
In John 8, when the woman caught in adultery was brought to him and they asked what should be done with her, Jesus first writes in the dirt ( or sand). What is the symbolism of this? I have never understood this part of the story.
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There are different ways to interpret this. One I’ve heard focuses on the act of writing on the dirt with His finger. Could this be an allusion to the Law, written on stone by the finger of God? So in effect, could Jesus have been gesturing to the accusers, “I am the author of the Law; how could I possibly break it?”
 
DavidJoseph said:
I’ve heard some say that it’s possible he was writing down the sins of the would-be “stoners” (for lack of a better word).
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I have also heard of that as a possibility. While we cannot know for sure, it is an example of an acceptable possibility for us to ponder as we meditate on the passage. Such pondering is a way that makes reading Scripture come alive.
(By “acceptable”, I mean it in no way contradicts the Scripture itself, or a teaching of the Church; and it could fit the particular Scriptural event on which one is meditating or studying. So now we have several possibilities to enhance our meditations on this passage. 👍)
 
patrick457 said:
There are different ways to interpret this. One I’ve heard focuses on the act of writing on the dirt with His finger. Could this be an allusion to the Law, written on stone by the finger of God? So in effect, could Jesus have been gesturing to the accusers, “I am the author of the Law; how could I possibly break it?”
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The stone tablets and this writing on the dirt are the only 2 instances in Scripture that I am aware of where God Himself writes something (once in the Old Testament and once in the New). That in itself is something to ponder.
 
There is the writing on the wall. . . in Daniel, after King Baltassar had committed sacrilege by ordering the sacred vessels brought from the temple to him and his nobles, and drinking with them.

'BALTASSAR the king made a great feast to his nobles a thousand: and every one drank according to his age. He commanded therefore now being drunk that the vessels of gold and silver, should be brought, which Nabuchodonosor his father had carried away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king, and his Nobles might drink in them, and his wives, and concubines. . . the very same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick in the utter part of the wall of the kings palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote. Then was the kings face changed, and his cogitations troubled him: and the junctures of his reins were loosed, and his knees were stricken one against the other. . . ’

‘MANE. THEKEL. PHARES. . .’

And Daniel was sent for to interpret the words:

‘And this the interpretation of the word. MANE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found having less. PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes, and Persians.’
  • Daniel Chapter 4
 
The ‘weighed in the balance’ part makes me think of the talents too.
 
Shin said:
There is the writing on the wall. . . in Daniel, after King Baltassar had committed sacrilege by ordering the sacred vessels brought from the temple to him and his nobles, and drinking with them.

'BALTASSAR the king made a great feast to his nobles a thousand: and every one drank according to his age. He commanded therefore now being drunk that the vessels of gold and silver, should be brought, which Nabuchodonosor his father had carried away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king, and his Nobles might drink in them, and his wives, and concubines. . . the very same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick in the utter part of the wall of the kings palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote. Then was the kings face changed, and his cogitations troubled him: and the junctures of his reins were loosed, and his knees were stricken one against the other. . . ’

‘MANE. THEKEL. PHARES. . .’

And Daniel was sent for to interpret the words:

‘And this the interpretation of the word. MANE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it. THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found having less. PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes, and Persians.’
  • Daniel Chapter 4
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Right. Thanks Shin.
It’s interesting to look at the 3 separate occasions when God “wrote” - look for the similarities and the differences.
 
I hav always pndered on His kindness not to be one more person staring at her and joining the “public eye” condemning her…,He was writing on the floor…she was not the focus of His attention. and His finger was not pointing at her.
 
Nita said:
I don’t know if there’s meant to be any symbolism or not; but a line in the Old Testament could possibly have a connection:

*Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; **those who turn away ***from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.

compare to:

John 8:8-9 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and **Jesus was left alone **with the woman standing before him.
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Good stuff Nita!!

Do you know the significance of this:
one by one, beginning with the eldest
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mark_a said:
Good stuff Nita!!

Do you know the significance of this:
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I think that “beginning with the elders” has to do with this

Titus 1:6
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
 
graciew said:
I think that “beginning with the elders” has to do with this

Titus 1:6
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
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Thank you Gracie!
 
mark_a said:
one by one, beginning with the eldest
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I heard Scott Hahn speaking about this incident and his thoughts were very interesting. Will try to recapture what he said:

He noted that the Scribes and Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus - discrediting Him no matter which way He answered. If He said not to stone her they could discredit Him before the people by saying He didn’t uphold the Mosaic Law; if He said to stone her they could report Him to the authorities for disobedience of the Roman law (Jews were not allowed to inflict capital punishment on their own).

Jesus, with His statement “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” completely flips the trap they set for him, and they are the ones trapped – falling into the very trap they set for Him.
If they pick up a stone and throw it at the woman (thus claiming to any onlookers that they were without sin), they could be reported to the Roman authorities; if they walk away without stoning the woman, then to any onlookers it is like an admission that they are guilty of sin - that they have broken the Mosaic Law in some way.

**Now, finally to the verse involved in your question **-- “But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest,…”
Hahn commented on how the first ones to leave were the eldest. His thought is that they were the first (being older and wiser) to recognize the trap. But one by one, it dawned on each one and as it did, they turned and left.

PSALM 57:6 comes to mind:
“They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves.”
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