Bible Studies

WRITING IN THE DUST

by Jeff Van Hatten
01/31/25
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Many have asked what Yeshua wrote in the dust when the Pharisees and Scribes brought an adulteress to him. And many have made multiple guesses, but have utterly failed to let scripture interpret scripture. Let’s take a closer look:

John 8:5-6 – “In the Torah Moses commanded us to stone to death such women. What then do you say? . . .Yeshua bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.”
In John Chapter 8 we have the account of a woman caught in the act of adultery who was brought before Yeshua by the Pharisees and Scribes to see what Yeshua would say and do. Would he commit her to death, as Moses commanded? Or not? Yeshua’s actions stunned them. He simply bent down and wrote in the dust – twice!!

Leviticus 20:10 – “Both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”
Judge Judy Scheindlin has a saying that goes something like this: “The law does not take action for anyone who comes to court with dirty hands.” The Pharisees and Scribes had only sought death for the woman, but the Torah commands that both the man and the woman be stoned to death (see also Deuteronomy 22:22). Since the Pharisees and Scribes failed to bring the man for punishment, they came to “court with dirty hands” and the Judge, Yeshua, therefore, did not accede to their demands. But what he did do stunned everyone.

The Preposterous Explanations
Speculation about what Yeshua wrote in the dust with his finger runs rampant.

Here are some of the preposterous, ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsensical guesses:
1. Yeshua was remembering the time on Mt Sinai when he had written the Ten Commandments on stone tablets with His finger (Exodus 32:15-16).
2. He was mimicking Roman Law in which a judge would first write down his verdict then pronounce it.
3. He was writing a list of the sins committed by each of the Pharisees and Scribes present, or just their names.
4. Yeshua was just scribbling in the sand to give the Pharisees and Scribes time to understand – or was stalling for time until he collected his own thoughts.
5. The woman was naked, and Jesus was writing in the dirt to avert His eyes from seeing the naked woman.

None of these guesses is even remotely acceptable – they run from mildly nonsensical (1) to supremely ludicrous (5) and utterly fail to let scripture interpret scripture. Give us a break.

The Biblical Answer
Psalm 73:27 – “Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who adulterously leave you.”
Isaiah 1:28 – “Rebels and sinners together will be broken and those who abandon Yahweh will be consumed.”
Jeremiah 17:13 – “O Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken You, the fountain of living waters.”

An accurate translation of the Hebrew of Jeremiah 17:13 is this:
“Oh Yahweh H3068, the Immerser H4723 of Israel H3478, all H3605 those who leave H5800 you shall be publicly embarrassed H954, those who turn aside H3279 from you will have their names written H3289 in the dust H776 for H3588 they have departed H5800 from Yahweh H3068, the fountain H4726 of Mayim H4325 Hayim H2416.”

The Pharisees and Scribes were always refusing to acknowledge that Yeshua was indeed their Mashiach (Messiah) or that he was indeed the source (fountain) of living water (see John 4:10; 6:35; 7:38). So once again, as he always did, Yeshua gave them a chance. They could have just been embarrassed and admitted their guilt – but not these guys. No, instead they refused to repent, rejected the Mashiach, and Yeshua did exactly what the Torah stated Yahweh would do: he would write in the dust the names of those who turned aside and failed to recognize who truly stood before them.

The answer Yeshua gave the Pharisees and Scribes is succinctly stated in Jeremiah 17:13 and likewise stated in other words in several other scriptures, such as Psalm 73.27 and Isaiah 1:28, just to name two. Jeremiah 17:13 is a Messianic prophecy of what the Mashiach would do when he came. And much to the surprise of the Pharisees and Scribes, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach fulfilled the prophecy exactly as written, according to John 8:5-6.

Conclusions
When one fails to let scripture interpret scripture, all sort and manner of preposterous, ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsensical explanations run rampant in trying to explain the account of Yeshua’s interaction with the adulteress, Pharisees, and Scribes. Give us a break.

It is a dangerous thing to fail to recognize Yahweh/Yeshua and turn aside or away from him, particularly if he is standing directly in your presence. Doing so could result in your name being written in the dust and your name being blotted out from the Lamb’s Book of Life, as it was for the Pharisees and Scribes who stood before him years ago.

Final Thought for 2025
• Prophecy continues to unfold as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. History is moving extremely quickly towards the prophesied one world government, the one world financial system, and the rise of both the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
• The escalation of wars and rumors of wars continues to unfold, both in the Middle East and around the globe.
• Time is incredibly short – The birth pangs are just over the horizon.
• The great day of Yahweh is getting really near, even at the door. It hastens forth and will not delay.
• Be sure you are believing The Truth, not The Lie, and maintain an attitude of thanksgiving.
• Be sure Yeshua is your Redeemer, King, and High Priest, and your sins are forgiven.