Lecture 1
Lectio 1
The woman caught in adultery
Mulier in adulterio deprehensa
8:1 And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [n. 1119]
8:1 Iesus autem perrexit in montem Oliveti, [n. 1119]
8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple. All the people came to him, and sitting down, he taught them. [n. 1120]
8:2 et diluculo iterum in templum. Et omnis populus venit ad eum, et sedens docebat eos. [n. 1120]
8:3 And the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery, and they set her in the midst. [n. 1123]
8:3 Adducunt autem Scribae et Pharisaei mulierem in adulterio deprehensam, et statuerunt eam in medio. [n. 1123]
8:4 And said to him: Master, this woman was just now caught in adultery. [n. 1125]
8:4 Et dixerunt ei: Magister, haec mulier modo deprehensa est in adulterio. [n. 1125]
8:5 Now Moses commanded us in the law to stone such a woman. But what do you say? [n. 1127]
8:5 In lege autem Moyses mandavit nobis huiusmodi lapidare. Tu ergo quid dicis? [n. 1127]
8:6 And they said this tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus, bending down, wrote with his finger on the ground. [n. 1130]
8:6 Haec autem dicebant, tentantes eum, ut possent accusare eum. Iesus autem inclinans se deorsum, digito scribebat in terra. [n. 1130]
8:7 When they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said to them: he who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. [n. 1132]
8:7 Cum ergo perseverarent interrogantes, erexit se, et dixit eis: qui sine peccato est vestrum, primus in illam lapidem mittat. [n. 1132]
8:8 And again bending down, he wrote on the ground. [n. 1134]
8:8 Et iterum se inclinans scribebat in terra. [n. 1134]
8:9 But hearing this, they left one by one, beginning with the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. [n. 1135]
8:9 Audientes autem haec, unus post unum exibant, incipientes a senioribus, et remansit solus Iesus, et mulier in medio stans. [n. 1135]
8:10 Then Jesus, lifting himself up, said to her: woman, where are they who accused you? Has no man condemned you? [n. 1136]
8:10 Erigens autem se Iesus, dixit ei: mulier, ubi sunt qui te accusabant? nemo te condemnavit? [n. 1136]
8:11 She said: no one, Lord. And Jesus said: neither will I condemn you. Go, and sin no more. [n. 1138]
8:11 Quae dixit: nemo, Domine. Dixit autem Iesus: nec ego te condemnabo. Vade, et iam amplius noli peccare. [n. 1138]
1118. After having treated of the origin of the doctrine of Christ, the Evangelist here considers its power. Now the doctrine of Christ has the power both to enlighten and to give life, because his words are spirit and life.
1118. Postquam egit Evangelista de origine doctrinae Christi, hic consequenter agit de eius virtute. Habet autem doctrina Christi virtutem illuminativam et vivificativam, quia verba eius spiritus et vita sunt.
So first, he treats of the power of Christ’s doctrine to enlighten;
Primo ergo agit de virtute doctrinae Christi illuminativa;
second, of its power to give life: amen, amen I say to you: he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold but climbs in another way is a thief and a robber (John 10:1).
secundo de virtute vivificativa, infra X, amen, amen dico vobis, qui non intrat per ostium in ovile ovium, sed ascendit aliunde, ille fur est et latro.
He shows the power of Christ’s doctrine to enlighten, first by words; and
Ostendit autem illuminativam virtutem doctrinae Christi, primo verbo;
second, by a miracle: and Jesus, passing by, saw a man blind from birth (John 9:1).
secundo miraculo, ibi et praeteriens Iesus, vidit hominem caecum a nativitate.
As to the first, he does two things:
Circa primum duo facit.
first, he presents the teaching of Christ;
Primo introducit Christum docentem;
second, he shows the power of his teaching, at Jesus spoke to them again (John 8:12).
secundo ponit doctrinae Christi virtutem, ibi iterum ergo locutus est eis Iesus.
There are two things that pertain to the office of a teacher: to instruct the devout or sincere, and to repel opponents.
Ad officium autem doctoris duo pertinent. Primo ut devotos instruat; secundo ut adversarios repellat.
So first, Christ instructs those who are sincere; and
Primo ergo Christus instruit populum devotum;
second, he repels his opponents, at and the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery.
secundo repellit adversarios, ibi adducunt autem Scribae etc.
The Evangelist does three things with respect to the first: first, he mentions the place where this teaching takes place; second, he mentions those who listened to it; and third, the teacher.
Circa primum tria facit. Primo describitur locus doctrinae; secundo auditor; tertio doctor.
This teaching took place in the temple; so he first mentions that Jesus left the temple, and then that he returned.
Locus autem doctrinae est templum. Unde primo ponit recessum ab eo; secundo reditum.
1119. He mentions that Jesus left the temple when he says, and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. For our Lord made it his practice, when he was at Jerusalem on the festival days, to preach in the temple and to work miracles and signs during the day, and when evening came, he would return to Bethany, which was on the Mount of Olives as the guest of Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. With this in mind, the Evangelist says that since Jesus had remained in the temple and preached on the last day of the great feast, in the evening, and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, where Bethany was located.
1119. Recessus quidem, cum dicit Iesus autem perrexit in Montem oliveti. Nam Dominus hanc sibi consuetudinem fecerat ut per diem quando erat Ierosolymis in diebus festis, praedicaret in templo, signa et miracula faceret, et in sero revertebatur in Bethaniam, et apud sorores Lazari Mariam et Martham hospitabatur, quae erat in Monte oliveti. Secundum igitur hunc morem dicit, quod cum in novissimo magnae festivitatis die Iesus stetisset in templo, et praedicasset, de sero perrexit in Montem oliveti, ubi erat Bethania.
And this is appropriate to a mystery: for as Augustine says, where was it appropriate for Christ to teach and show his mercy, if not on the Mount of Olives, the mount of anointing and of grace. The olive signifies mercy; so also in Greek, oleos is the same as mercy. And we are told that the Samaritan applied oil and wine, which correspond to mercy and the stringency of judgment (Luke 10:24). Again, oil is healing: wounds and bruises and swelling sores are not bandaged or dressed, or soothed with oil (Isa 1:6). It also signifies the medicine of spiritual grace which has been transmitted to us by Christ: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows (Ps 44:8); and again, like the precious ointment on the head which ran down upon the beard (Ps 132:2).
Et hoc convenit mysterio: nam, ut dicit Augustinus, ubi decebat Christum docere et suam misericordiam manifestare nisi in Monte oliveti, in Monte unctionis et chrismatis? Oliva autem misericordiam signat: unde et in Graeco oleos idem est quod misericordia. Lc. X, 34, dicitur de Samaritano, quod infudit oleum et vinum, secundum misericordiam et severitatem iudicii. Item oleum sanativum est; Is. I, 6: vulnus et livor et plaga tumens non est circumligata medicamine, neque fota oleo. Signatur etiam medicina spiritualis gratiae, quae ad nos derivata est. Ps. XLIV, 8: unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo laetitiae prae consortibus tuis. Et alibi: sicut unguentum in capite quod descendit in barbam.
1120. Christ’s return to the temple is described as being early; thus he says, and early in the morning he came again into the temple. This signifies that he was about to impart knowledge and manifest his grace in his temple, that is, in his believers: we have received your mercy, O God, in the middle of your temple (Ps 47:10).
1120. Reditus autem ad locum ponitur tempestivus; unde dicit et iterum diluculo venit in templum. Per quod signatur quod cognitionem et manifestationem gratiae suae in templo suo, scilicet fidelibus suis, manifestaturus erat, Ps. XLVII, 10: suscepimus, Deus, misericordiam tuam in medio templi tui.
The fact that he returned early in the morning signifies the rising light of new grace: his going forth is as sure as the dawn (Hos 6:3).
Quod autem diluculo rediit, exortum lumen novae gratiae designat; Os. VI, 3: quasi diluculum praeparatus est egressus eius.
1121. Those who listened to his teaching were the sincere among the people; thus he says, all the people came to him: the assembly of the people will surround you (Ps 7:8).
1121. Auditor autem doctrinae est populus devotus; et ideo dicit et omnis populus venit ad eum; Ps. VII, 8: synagoga populorum circumdabit te.
1122. Their teacher is presented as seated, and sitting down, that is, going down to their level, so that his teaching would be more easily understood. His sitting down signifies the humility of his incarnation: you knew when I sat down, and when I rose (Ps 138:1). Because it was through the human nature that our Lord assumed that he became visible, we began to be instructed in the divine matters more easily. So he says, sitting down, he taught them, that is, the simple, and those who respected his teaching: he will teach his ways to the gentle, and will guide the mild in judgment (Ps 24:9); he will teach us his ways (Isa 2:3).
1122. Doctor autem introducitur sedens, unde dicit et sedens, idest condescendens, ut eius doctrina facilius caperetur. Sessio enim humilitatem incarnationis significat; Ps. CXXXVIII, 1: tu cognovisti sessionem meam et resurrectionem meam. Quia per susceptam humanitatem visibilis apparens, coeperunt de divinis facilius edoceri; et ideo dicit, quod sedens docebat eos, idest simplices, et sermonem eius admirantes; Ps. XXIV, 9: docebit mites vias suas, et diriget mansuetos in iudicio; Is. II, 3: docebit nos vias suas.
1123. Then, at and the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery, our Lord wards off his opponents.
1123. Consequenter cum dicit adducunt autem Scribae et Pharisaei mulierem in adulterio deprehensam, repellit adversarios, et
First, we see him tested, so that he can then be accused; and
primo ponitur calumniae tentatio;
second, he checks his accusers, at but Jesus, bending down, wrote with his finger on the ground.
secundo calumniantium repulsio, ibi Iesus autem inclinans se deorsum, digito scribebat in terra.
As to the first, the Evangelist does three things:
Circa primum tria facit.