Was Adam With Eve When She Spoke With The Serpent?

Was Adam With Eve When She Spoke With The Serpent?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, November 4, 2025 (Donate)

Introduction

Soon after creation, the serpent, influenced by Satan who had just sinned himself, deceived the Woman (later named Eve) into eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They conversed through the intellect of the devil’s use of the serpent.

Was Adam with her when they spoke? Or did he walk immediately after and miss the conversation? He obviously knew what fruit it was an ate when she gave it to him. This question has intrigued Christians for ages. Let’s jump into it.

Serpent potentially holding the unique fruit; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (Grok)

The Scriptures Reveal 

Genesis 3:1-6 (NKJV) says:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman,

“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

And the woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent said to the woman,

“You will not surely die. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Assessment

When reading this, there is no Scripture saying that Adam was with the Woman when she was deceived. It only mentions Adam when she ate.  Many believe the phrase “with her” is out of context when applying it to the events in the previous section because the Hebrew gives a new paragraph standing beginning in verse 6 (“So when the woman saw…”). 

Many believe a small amount of time passed to permit Adam to arrive on the scene to see her pick the fruit, eat it and give some to him to eat. Part of the reason for this small amount of time is due to events that took place between the Woman speaking to the serpent and Adam eating.

For example, the Woman saw that the fruit was good to eat.  How could she know the fruit was good to eat? Well, it is likely that she saw something, such as an animal, eat some of the fruit – maybe even the serpent himself. Keep in mind that man was forbidden to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but the Bible gives no indication that other things couldn’t have eaten from it (e.g., animals). 

Serpent holding a fruit prior to being cursed to crawl on its belly; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (Grok)

Another reason is due to Adam listening to the voice of His wife.  Many think there was a conversation between Adam and the Woman after her conversation with the serpent. This will be discussed in more detail in the coming paragraphs.  

In fact, the Bible never says the serpent spoke to Adam and the Woman but only the Woman.  Only the Woman responded, and it doesn’t make sense that Adam wouldn’t respond at all if he was involved in the conversation—especially with the blatant errors spoken in the conversation. 

Logically, it is easier to deceive one person, than two as well. Recall that Hebrew gives a new paragraph standing to verse 6. The NAS, KJV and NKJV also honor this as a distinct change confirming the short time reference ‘When the woman’.  There was definitely some small amount of time between this—the question becomes—was it enough time for Adam to arrive?  Expositor Dr. John Gill says of Genesis 3:6:

and gave also to her husband with her; and gave also to her husband with her; that he might eat as well as she, and partake of the same benefits and advantages she hoped to reap from hence; for no doubt it was of good will, and not ill will, that she gave it to him; and when she offered it to him, it is highly probable she made use of arguments with him, and pressed him hard to it, telling him what delicious food it was, as well as how useful it would be to him and her. The Jews infer from hence, that Adam was with her all the while, and heard the discourse between the serpent and her, yet did not interpose nor dissuade his wife from eating the fruit, and being prevailed upon by the arguments used; or however through a strong affection for his wife, that she might not die alone, he did as she had done:^[1]

Gill believes there was a discussion between the Woman and Adam after her deception. Gill believed the Woman was indeed alone when deceived:

And he said to the woman; being alone, which he took the advantage of; not the serpent, but Satan in it; just as the angel spoke in Balaam’s ass;^[2]

John Calvin says in his commentary:

“And gave also unto her husband with her. From these words, some conjecture that Adam was present when his wife was tempted and persuaded by the serpent, which is by no means credible. Yet it might be that he soon joined her, and that, even before the woman tasted the fruit of the tree, she related the conversation held with the serpent, and entangled him with the same fallacies by which she herself had been deceived. Others refer the particle (immah,)" with her," to the conjugal bond, which may be received. But because Moses simply relates that he ate the fruit taken from the hands of his wife, the opinion has been commonly received, that he was rather captivated with her allurements than persuaded by Satan’s impostures. {1} For this purpose the declaration of Paul is adduced,

‘ Adam was not deceived, but the woman.’ ( #1Ti 2:14).

But Paul in that place, as he is teaching that the origin of evil was from the woman, only speaks comparatively. Indeed, it was not only for the sake of complying with the wishes of his wife, that he transgressed the law laid down for him; but being drawn by her into fatal ambition, he became partaker of the same defection with her. And truly Paul elsewhere states that sin came not by the woman, but by Adam himself, (#Ro 5:12). Then, the reproof which soon afterwards follows ‘Behold, Adam is as one of us,’ clearly proves that he also foolishly coveted more than was lawful, and gave greater credit to the flatteries of the devil than to the sacred word of God.” ^[3]

So, John Calvin didn’t see that Adam needed to be with the Woman when she was deceived. Even John Trapp’s commentary leaves open the possibility that Adam wasn’t with the Woman the whole time:

And gave it also to her husband. It is probable, saith the same author, that Adam stood by all the time of the disputation; therefore his sin was the greater, that he rebuked not the serpent, &c. And again, I cannot believe, said he, but that the devils in the serpent did as well tempt Adam as Eve, though first they began with her, as a further means of enticing him. Others {e} are of another mind, as that the tempter set upon the woman alone and apart from her husband, as she was curiously prying into the pleasures of the garden; that the serpent crept into Paradise unseen of Adam, who was to keep beasts out of it; that he remained there without being seen by him, and crept out again when he had done his feat; that when she gave him the fruit, she gave him also a relation of the serpent’s promise concerning the force of that fruit, that it would make them wise as God, knowing good and evil, &c., whence he is said to have hearkened to her voice. {#Ge 3:17} And surely, every Adam hath still his Eve, every David his Bathsheba, a tempter in his own bosom, his own flesh, whereby he is so soon "drawn away, and enticed" as a fish by the bait, —beauty {f} is a hook without a bait, {g} as one saith, —till "when lust hath conceived," as here it did in Eve, "it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death". {#Jas 1:14,15} Satan hath only a persuasive sleight, not an enforcing might. It is our own concupiscence that carrieth the greatest stroke.^[4]

Matthew Poole’s commentary agrees:

Gave also unto her husband with her, who by this time was returned to her, and who now was with her; or, that he might eat with her, and take his part of that fruit.^[5]

In the Genesis Record, Henry Morris says:

As the prototype of all sinners, Eve felt impelled to lead Adam to participate in the same sin.  She therefore plucked more of the fruit and brought it to her husband, urging him to eat it as well.  No doubt, she used the same arguments the serpent had used, also adding the personal testimony that she had eaten the delicious fruit herself without harmful effect. 

Adam, however, “was not deceived” (I Timothy 3:14).  Whether this statement by the Apostle Paul means that Adam was fully aware that he was willfully defying God, or whether it simply means that Adam was not the initial one whom Satan attacked with this deception, may not be completely clear.^[6] 

Paul says in 1 Timothy:

And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (1 Timothy 2:12-15, NKJV)

The passage says the Woman and not Adam was deceived but this still doesn’t shed light on whether Adam was with the Woman or if he showed up afterwards. In both cases (Adam with the Woman or Adam not with the Woman), 1 Timothy 2:12-15 could easily apply. If Adam was not with the Woman, then obviously he wouldn’t have been deceived. He could have eaten knowing he was sinning, regardless of knowing the serpent had deceived Woman. Genesis 3:17 (NKJV) says:

Then to Adam He said,

“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:    “Cursed is the ground for your sake;    In toil you shall eat of it   All the days of your life.

There is no indication that Adam listened to the voice of the serpent but did listen to the voice of his wife. Since God said that Adam listened to the voice of his wife, then two scenarios could apply:

1.     Scenario 1: This was her voice when she responded to the serpent.

2.     Scenario 2: This was a conversation after she spoke with the serpent. 

Analyzing Scenario 1

If Adam listened to the voice of his wife when she responded to the serpent then why didn’t he correct her when she misquoted God and changed what God said? The woman said:

“From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’"

The Woman left out some key words and then added to God’s Word:

"From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

She removed “any” and “freely” but added “or touch it” and even misstated “surely die” as merely “die”. If Adam listened to his wife’s words here as God said, then he was deceived into believing something other than what God said. However, 1 Timothy indicates Adam was not deceived so this couldn’t be the case.

Also, since he was not deceived, why didn’t Adam correct his wife’s mistaken response, especially since he was the one responsible for his wife (James 4:17)? If this were the case, he would have been sinning before he ate, yet the Lord didn’t mention it or give a rebuke for these potentially failed actions.    

Also, let’s not miss something big here. The only think the Woman said, was not to eat. If Adam listened to the voice of his wife, and if this was what is being referenced, then Adam shouldn’t have eaten! He would have been defying what she said so that he could eat.

Analyzing Scenario 2

The Woman conversed with Adam and he ate (but not by deception), thus with this scenario they had to have a conversation soon after the Woman conversed with the serpent which is what Gill, Calvin, Trapp, Morris, and others have pointed out. 

God said nothing of Adam listening to the voice of the serpent but only that of the Woman. In fact, Adam only blamed his wife, not the serpent, which indicates that he probably wasn’t aware of the serpent’s discussion with the Woman. 

Adam and Eve eating from the fruit and sinning against God; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Though this conversation between Adam and his wife is not mentioned in the early portions of the text in Genesis 3, it does give further support that the time reference in verse 6 indicates that time had passed from the speaking to the serpent and the Woman taking a bite and giving some to her husband. Apparently, there were events that were not entirely recorded in detail such as this conversation.    

This time reference and new conversation between the Woman and Adam is further support that the phrase “with her” in Genesis 3:6 would be out of context with the prior events—when she was being deceived by the serpent. So, Scenario 2 seems much more plausible, though one should not be dogmatic.

Conclusion

This surely didn’t take long from the serpent’s deception, to when the Woman desired the fruit and spoke to her husband and then ate^[7]. But one cannot be dogmatic that Adam was there the whole time from what little is given in Scripture.

Regardless though, Adam was with his wife when she ate so he had no excuse for not knowing what he ate. He knew it was fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and knowingly sinned when he ate.   

Recommended Resource

The Fall of Satan

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council. 

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished by permission.

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[1] John Gill’s Exposition, John Gill, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:6

 

[2] John Gill’s Exposition, John Gill, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:1

 

[3] Calvin’s Commentaries, John Calvin, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:6

[4] John Trapp Commentary, John Trapp, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:6

 

[5] Matthew Poole’s Commentary, Matthew Poole, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:6

[6] The Genesis Record, Dr Henry Morris, Baker Book House, 1976, Thirty-sixth Printing, Page 114

[7] In fact, it wouldn’t have taken long for them to sew fig leaves together either.  After they ate, felt ashamed and put together fig leaf coverings, the serpent still hadn’t gone far. The Lord was able to call down the curse on the serpent which wasn’t far off.  

Who Sinned First – Adam Or Satan?

Who Sinned First – Adam Or Satan?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, June 27, 2025 (Donate)

When Christians or others speak of Adam being the first sinner, this refers to Paul’s reflection of Genesis saying:

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12, NKJV, all passages)

It means that sin entered the world through Adam—that he is the one credited with sin’s entrance and hence the subsequent entrance of death and suffering and the need for a Savior and a last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). When we look back at Genesis 3, it is true that Satan had rebelled and also the Woman (later named Eve) sinned prior to Adam.

The Fall of Satan book has more topics like this

The Sin Of The Woman (Eve)

There were several things that Eve did wrong prior to eating the fruit. When the serpent (who was speaking the words of Satan) asked in Genesis 3:1: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” her response was less than perfect:

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’" (Genesis 3:2–3; emphasis added)

Compare this to what God had commanded in Genesis 2:16–17:

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Besides mimicking the serpent’s use of “God” instead of “Lord God”, the Woman made four mistakes in her response:

1.  She added the command not to touch the fruit “Nor shall you touch it”.  This is in direct contradiction with the command of Adam to tend the Garden (Genesis 2:15) which would constitute touching the tree and the fruit from time to time. It also makes the command from God to be exceptionally harsh.   

2.  She amended that God allowed them to freely eat from every tree. This makes God out to be less than gracious. 

3.  She amended that God allowed them to freely eat from every tree. Again, this makes God out to be less than gracious.   

4.  She amended the meaning of die. Let me explain, the Hebrew in Genesis 2:17 is “die die” (muwth – muwth), which is often translated as “surely die” or literally as “dying you shall die”, which indicates the beginning of dying, an ingressive sense.  In other words, if they would have eaten the fruit, then Adam and Eve would have began to die and would return to dust (which is what happened when they ate per Genesis 3:19).  If they were meant to die right then, Genesis 2:17 should have used muwth only once as is used in the Hebrew meaning dead, died, or die in an absolute sense and not beginning to die or surely die as die-die is commonly used.  What Eve said was “die” (muwth) once instead of the way God said it in Genesis 2:17 as “die-die” (muwth – muwth).  So, she changed God’s word to appear harsher again by saying they would die almost immediately.

Often, we are led to believe that Satan merely deceived Eve with the statement that “You will not surely die?” in Genesis 3:4. But we neglect the cleverness/cunningness that God indicates that the serpent had in Genesis 3:1. Note also that the exchange seems to suggest that Eve may have been willingly led: that is, she had already changed what God had said.

If you take a closer look, the serpent argued against Eve with an extremely clever ploy. He went back and argued against her incorrect words using the correct phraseology that God used in Genesis 2:17 (“die-die” (muwth–muwth)). This, in a deceptive way, used the proper sense of die that God stated in Genesis 2:17 against Eve's mistaken view. Imagine the conversation in simplified terms like this:

God says: Don’t eat or you will begin to die.

Eve says: We can’t eat or we will die immediately.

Serpent says: You will not begin to die?

This was very clever of Satan using God’s Words deceitfully against her. This is not an isolated incident either. When Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4), Jesus said “it is written” and quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:4). The second time, Satan tried quoting Scripture (i.e., God) deceptively just as he had done to Eve (Matthew 4:5–6). Of course, Jesus was not deceived, and corrected Satan’s twisted use of Scripture with a proper use of Scripture (Matthew 4:7). Because of Eve’s mistaken response of God’s command, it was easier for her to be deceived by Satan’s misuse of what God said.

As mentioned, another point that can be brought out about the Woman was her adoption of Satan’s reduction of “LORD God” to simply “God” in Genesis 3:3. This mimicked the way Satan addressed God when he questioned the Woman in Genesis 3:1. Satan had degraded God by not using the term God had used in Genesis 2:16-17 and the Woman followed suit. 

From her response though, she started down the slope into sin by being enticed by her own thoughts about the fruit (James 1:14–15). This culminated with her eating the forbidden fruit and giving some to her husband, who also ate.

The Woman sinned against God by eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil prior to Adam. However, at a closer look at the text—their eyes were not opened until after Adam ate (Genesis 3:7)—likely only moments later after they had a discussion (Genesis 3:17, “…heeded the voice of your wife…”).

Since Adam was created first (the Woman coming from him, but both being created in God’s image) and had been given the command directly and being the responsible party for his wife, it required his sin to bring about the Fall of mankind.[1] When Adam ate and sinned, they knew something was wrong and felt ashamed (Genesis 3:7). Sin and death had entered into the creation.

The Sin Of Satan

Like Eve, Satan had sinned prior to this. His sin was pride in his beauty (Ezekiel 28:15–17) and in trying to ascend and be like God (Isaiah 14:14) while in heaven (Isaiah 14:12). He was cast out when imperfection was found in him (Isaiah 14:12; Revelation 12:9; Ezekiel 28:15) and then we find his influence in the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:13; Genesis 3). His sin followed the same progression we read about in James 1:14-15.

Unlike Adam, Satan was never given dominion over the world (Genesis 1:28). So, his sin did not affect the creation, but merely his own person. This is likely why Satan went immediately for those who were given dominion. Continuing in his path as an enemy of God, he apparently wanted to do the most damage, so it was likely that his deception of the Woman happened quickly.

The Responsibility Of Adam

Adam failed at his responsibilities in two ways. He should have stopped his wife from eating, since he was there to observe exactly what she was about to eat (Genesis 3:6). Instead of correcting the words of his wife (Genesis 3:17), he listened to her and ate while not being deceived (1 Timothy 2:14).

Adam also arguably failed to keep/guard the garden as he was commanded in Genesis 2:15. God, knowing Satan would fall, gave this command to Adam, but Adam did not complete the task. But God even knew that Adam would fall short and had a plan specially prepared.

Many people have asked: “Why do we have to die for something Adam did?” The answer is simple—we are without excuse since we sin too (Romans 3:23, 5:12). But then some have asked: “Why did we have to inherit sin nature from Adam, which is why we sin?” We read in Hebrews:

Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. (Hebrews 7:9–10)

If we follow this logic, then all of us were ultimately in Adam when he sinned. So, although we often blame Adam, the life we have was in Adam when he sinned, and the sin nature we received was because we were in Adam when he sinned. We share in the blame and the sin as well as the punishment.

But look back further. The life that we (including Eve) have came through Adam and ultimately came from God (Genesis 2:17). God owns us and gives us our very being (Hebrews 1:3), and it is He whom we should follow instead of our own sinful inclinations.

Since this sin of Adam, we have had the need for a Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God who would step into history to become a man and take the punishment for humanity’s sin. Such a loving feat shows that God truly loves mankind and wants to see us return to Him. God—being the Author of life, the Sustainer of life, and Redeemer of life—is truly the One we owe all things. 

Originally here: https://answersingenesis.org/sin/original-sin/who-sinned-first-adam-or-satan/; Edited; Republished by permission.

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[1] Further to this, there are two views. 1. The world and their perceptions were not changed partially because Adam, who was still perfect and hadn’t eaten yet, was also in a position of dominion.  Had Adam sinned first, then it is possible that the same type of scenario could have occurred. In other words, had Adam eaten first, then when the Woman would have eaten, then they would have been ashamed, sin enter, etc. When both of those who had dominion fell, then the extend of their dominion also felt repercussions, but so long as one of them still had perfection, then the world did not appear subjected to it – likely for the sake of the other.  This is why when Adam ate, they then felt ashamed. 2.  Another view though is possible, in that Adam, being the federal head for both he and his wife (1 Corinthians 11:8-12), was the only one required to eat to cause sin and death to enter. Regardless, when Adam ate, sin, shame, and death entered the creation in full force (Romans 5:12).  

Shouldn’t Eve Have Been Shocked That A Serpent Spoke?

 

Shouldn’t The Woman (Eve) Have Been Shocked That A Serpent Spoke?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries March 28, 2025 (Donate)

Often, people say that they can’t believe the serpent in Genesis 3 spoke because they claim animals don’t speak! “Well, I wish I could tell that to my sister-in-law’s old Blue-Fronted Amazon parrot that doesn’t stop talking!”

Many types of parrots talk by mimicking, so it would be illogical to think that God didn’t give this ability to other animals—especially in a perfect world. Speaking human sounding words and speaking intelligently, however, is not the same. 

Recall that even Balaam’s donkey spoke, with God’s help. So, there should be caution about limiting what God did or didn’t do in the perfect Garden.

There is a possibility that many other animals had the ability to “speak phonetically” before the curse. The book of Revelation refers to living creatures in heaven that speak (Revelation 6:1, 19:4), angels speak, and humans speak. So, it should be no surprise that God could create animals that could make human-like sounds in a perfect world. Many animals have types of sound-based communication even today. 

The difference with the serpent is that it was “clever” when it spoke. It made sense to the Woman[1]. Since Satan was the one who influenced the serpent (per Revelation 12:9, Revelation 20:2), then it makes sense why the serpent could deceive her. The serpent was an instrument in the deception and also deserved a punishment, which God justly gave.

One artistic view of the serpent; Image by Bodie Hodge

This reminds me of Judas who also received due punishment even though Satan entered him (Luke 22:3) or the King of Tyre (Ezekiel 28). I doubt that God gave Satan the power and ability to make animals talk if they didn’t have the correct phonics ability originally. With Balaam’s donkey, it was by the power of God that it spoke. 

Of course today, serpents, such as snakes which crawl on their belly, don’t speak but the curse in Genesis 3:14 probably had something to do with this. Recall the physical changes in Genesis 3. Perhaps this is the reason the particular kind of serpent that deceived the Woman no longer passed along the ability to speak or may have even become extinct since the Fall[2].  The fact that the curse included “crawling on the belly” rules out a dinosaur as being the serpent that deceived the Woman since they walked upright. 

The issue of the Woman being shocked when she heard the serpent speak also has a couple of theological problems. First, everything in the Garden of Eden was new to the first couple—they’d only been alive for a short time. Even a bug or cat or dinosaur would all be new, so they shouldn’t have been shocked at a talking serpent. 

God programmed into Adam and Eve language (since they were able to speak immediately with God) which would include animal definitions. So, it shouldn’t have been shocking to see or hear something for the first time, when you’re already programmed to know about it.

Also, the word “shocking” implies an imperfect world with violence and indecency. The definition of shocking from Merriam-Webster Online dictionary (retrieved March 2008) is “extremely startling, distressing, or offensive”[3]. 

This has a theological problem since God declared everything “very good” in Genesis 1:31 and perfect in Deuteronomy 32:4. There wouldn’t have been any violence or indecency in the Garden at this time.  It wasn’t until after they sinned that these things would have existed as part of a now fearfully and broken world Therefore, there should have been no reason for Eve to have been “shocked” in a very good creation.

If this article has been a blessing please consider a tax-deductible donation.

Originally published here: https://answersingenesis.org/adam-and-eve/eve-shocked-a-serpent-spoke/; Used by permission.

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[1] When using “Woman” in caps, this denotes Eve’s original name as given in Genesis 2:23, when Adam named her.  She was originally named Woman and wasn’t given the name Eve until after sin. Throughout this book both names are used. Most of the time they are corresponding to the name prior to and after sin.  The use of the names “Man” and “Adam” were both used prior to sin for the first man.  So sometimes one may see Adam and the Woman but please understand that the name Woman is not used in any derogatory sense in this book but used as a name. 

[2] There were likely no land-dwelling air-breathing animals extinct by the time of the Flood since representatives of each kind were aboard the Ark (Genesis 6:19-20).  If descendants of this particular serpent did go extinct, it would have been after the Flood. 

[3] Merriam-Webster Online dictionary (retrieved March 2008) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shocking.

Woman Caught in Adultery

Woman caught in adultery—was Jesus applying mercy and grace instead of following the Law?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, April 29, 2020 (Donate) 

Introduction

In the past few years, I’ve heard expositions of the account of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) from a multitude of speakers and pastors. Most presenters on this subject point out that Jesus deviated from the law to show mercy and grace to this lady and didn’t punish her as she should have been. Expositors tend to use this as a springboard to tell us that we should be like Jesus and be gracious toward sinners by essentially letting their sin go, albeit recognizing that adultery was still sin.

My teenage daughter heard about Jesus and the adulteress at youth group recently. Lo and behold,  the same message trickled through. She left with more questions than answers. My daughter was taught that the adulterer that was with the adulterous woman was nowhere to be found in the narrative even though they were “caught in the act”—perhaps he ran away. The witnesses were missing too.

The main point she garnered from the devotion was that, Jesus showed extra grace and mercy and deviated from the Law. So she was disturbed that the God-man Jesus—the very Creator of the Law—didn’t follow the Law when it came down to it. And my daughter’s reaction is rightly warranted! My daughter asked me to explain this account seeing that what she heard was so convoluted it didn’t make sense. 

Sin Is Serious

God takes a very serious view of sin. For proof, you only need to read three chapters into the Bible. One sin by Adam and Eve and God cursed the ground and sentenced man to die and return to dust (Genesis 3). In the New Testament, one lie to the Holy Spirit by Ananias and Sapphira meant immediate death (Acts 5:12).

The rest of the Bible after Adam’s sin until the last two chapters of Revelation is God solving the sin problem that we, as mankind, caused. For one sin, we deserve an everlasting and infinite punishment from an eternal and infinite God for betraying Him and committing high treason against Him. So sin is indeed a hot button issue with God and it should be as God is perfectly holy and perfectly just.

Jesus, God incarnate, fulfilled and followed the law perfectly being sinless (e.g., Matthew 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15). So to quickly jump to idea that Christ deviated from the Law to show mercy and grace would call into question that Jesus fulfilled the law. This suddenly becomes a greater problem; because if Jesus didn’t fulfill the Law, then He wasn’t the perfect sacrifice and we are still dead in our sins.

Furthermore, grace and mercy are offered by God but it is predicated on justice served. For instance, grace to sinners unto salvation was offered as a result of Jesus being sacrificed in our place and God’s justice was poured out on Christ in His death on the cross. Those believers prior to Christ looked forward to what Jesus did in the same way that we, who came after Christ, look back to His completed work though His death, burial, and resurrection. The point I’m making is that when people argue that Jesus simply decided to exercise grace in the instance with the adulteress instead of following the Law, it is misplaced.

Rarely do we take a close look at what the Law said regarding this situation and see if Jesus followed it before jumping to the conclusion that He went against the Law in an effort to give grace. Let’s evaluate this narrative with more detail.

Jesus Actually Followed The Law Perfectly

Here is the relevant passage in John 8:2-11,

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?"

This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 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. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"

She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." (NKJV)

First things first. When did this happen? It was early in the morning.  So the woman was caught in adultery just before this, in the earlier morning hours. According to the scribes and Pharisees, she was caught in the very act of adultery. So the scribes and Pharisees were acting as the direct witnesses to the event. So missing witnesses we don’t have—they were there indeed.

It was true that the Law of Moses commanded that the adulteress be put to death, or “stoned”, as the scribes and Pharisees said. So what did Jesus do? He wrote on the ground with His finger. Did you ever wonder what He wrote? Did He write “Koalas like rainbows”? Probably not. What He wrote likely dealt with the situation at hand.

Think about this for a moment. They were in the Temple (John 8:2), but not in the inner area where a copy of the Scripture to scroll through was readily available—there was little dirt or dust on the ground in the inner portions of the Temple complex but well kept (i.e., clean) flooring as part of the priestly duties for upkeep.

Instead, Jesus was in the outer area of the Temple complex (the Court of the Gentiles—which was permissible for both Jews and gentiles which were both likely among the crowd listening to Him teach).

This courtyard is the larger exterior court of the Temple grounds that fit larger crowds that came to learn. This area was commonly trampled on with dusty and dirty feet making it possible to write on the ground for teaching. In the outer court, Jesus was using the ground the way we use a chalkboard or white board today.  

This location makes sense since the scribes and Pharisees were bringing the lady caught in adultery to the Temple for judgment and had to pass by Jesus teaching this crowd upon entering the Temple’s outer gate—which allowed for this opportunity to occur.

The most logical thing Jesus would write is what the Law says for this situation. Jesus was known for quoting Scripture to the scribes and Pharisees when they challenged Him, so it makes sense, that Christ was quoting Scripture in this instance as well. Consider that the discussion was on the subject of adultery in the Law of Moses. Did Jesus write the exact Law pertaining to the adulteress that the scribes and Pharisees were charging this woman with? Why not?

What Jesus wrote on the ground clearly had an impact on the scribes and Pharisees and convicted them one by one—from the most senior of them to the least senior of them. Bear in mind that the senior scribe or Pharisee would be the one with the honor of being the first to step forward to see what was written. So what does the Law of Moses say about this adultery situation?

The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10, NKJV)

Why is this Law so important? Just as the scribes and Pharisees stated, the woman is to be put to death, but it also reveals something else that is extremely important. He who committed adultery with this woman is also to be put to death.

Leviticus 10:10, NKJV; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

How did these Pharisees know that the woman was caught in the direct act of adultery so early in the morning? Do they just get up and go looking for adulterous persons at the wee hours every morning? Think more deeply here. The scribes and Pharisees were the ones who were claiming to be the witnesses. How did all these men know that she was an adulteress. The answer is directly in the text. Jesus said,

"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (John 8:7, NKJV, emphasis added)

What sin is Jesus referring to? The sin in context is adultery. Jesus affirmed that her punishment was death but He also asked which of them was not committing adultery with her.

The one who hadn’t committed adultery with her was allowed to cast the first stone. This is how they knew she was committing adultery—they were the ones doing it with her! That is how they caught her in the act. Whether the act of adultery was all at once (i.e., an orgy) or she had been sneaking around with all of the scribes and Pharisees in attendance one by one (i.e., fornication) and just now got caught which put them in a jealous rage to put her to death, we simply don’t know.

Each scribe or Pharisee who committed adultery with her should also be put to death in accordance with the Law of Moses. What we know is that they were ALL committing adultery with her because they all left one by one. They were each, “convicted by their conscience”. They knew they were guilty of adultery too and would die if they remained. That means that all of them were “with sin” with this adulteress. Again, that is how they knew she was committing adultery!

But these scribes and Pharisees were also adulterers and thus, they should all be put to death if convicted. Instead, they left forfeiting their position as a witnesses.

Suddenly, this now became a strange situation especially for an on-looking crowd. The witnesses had fled and were no longer there to testify. Jesus had again written on the ground. What did He write the second time? When your witnesses disappear the Bible speaks to that too—especially regarding a death sentence. The Law says,

"Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. (Deuteronomy 17:6, NKJV)

You need two witnesses to convict. Yet all her witnesses had disappeared. So there were none left. Of course, Jesus knew she was a sinner. He even said for her to, “sin no more”. But even if you count Jesus as the sole witness, the Law needed to be followed and one witness was not enough to convict. According to the Law, she should be set free. 

Deuteronomy 17:6, NKJV; Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Thus, Jesus did exactly as the Law stated so He didn’t condemn her either and let her go in keeping with the Law.

Conclusion

Jesus actually followed the Law perfectly and to the letter by doing exactly what it said. This is the conclusion of the passage. Jesus indeed fulfilled the Law in this instance and adhered to it as the authority in this situation with the adulterous woman.

So it frustrates me when people say Jesus didn’t follow the Law in this situation but instead exercised mercy and grace. As we’ve seen, Jesus followed the Law. And the Law of Moses, which Jesus wrote in the first place and was given through Moses by the Holy Spirit, when followed, allowed for a gracious and merciful outcome to the woman caught in adultery.

But note Christ’s words to her in front of a crowd—“sin no more”. He affirmed to the onlookers that she was indeed a sinner caught in adultery and now everyone knew it. It was like He announced it over the PA system when He said that.   

We are in a church culture where some, sadly, despise the Law and want to neglect it and distance themselves from it. Some use this passage for justification that Jesus set the Law aside as a model for us to follow. But as we’ve read, Jesus didn’t ignore the Law. He followed it and fulfilled it.

We need to recognize the purpose of the Law. The Law is a tutor and a shadow to help us understand the seriousness of sin and the good freedom we have in Christ (e.g., Galatians 3:21-27, Hebrews 10:1). The Law is good when used lawfully and this a reminder to Christians who are now under grace’s righteousness. The Holy Spirit reveals through Paul in 1 Timothy 1,

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. (1 Timothy 1:8-11, NKJV)

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.