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Joh_8:8-9. Πάλιν , κ . τ . λ .] To indicate that He has nothing further to do with the case. According to Jerome[8] and Euthymius Zigabenus, “in order to give space to the questioners to take themselves away;” but this is not in keeping with Joh_8:6.
ἐξήρχοντο ] descriptive imperfect.
εἷς καθʼ εἷς ] Mar_14:19.
ἕως τ . ἐσχάτ .] is to be connected with εἷς καθʼ εἷς , ἀρξ . ἀπὸ τ . πρεσβ . being an intervening clause. See on Mat_20:8.
The πρεσβύτεροι are the elders in years, not the elders of the people; for there would be no apparent reason why the latter should be the first who should have chosen to go away; besides, the elders of the people are not named along with the others in Joh_8:3. Those more advanced in years, on the other hand, were also thoughtful and prudent enough to go away first, instead of stopping to compromise themselves further.
ἕως τῶν ἐσχάτ .] attested as genuine by preponderating evidence. It does not refer to rank, the least (so most modern expositors, even Lücke, B. Crusius, De Wette, Maier, Lange), which the context does not sanction; the context (see εἷς καθʼ εἷς ) leads us rather to render it ‘unto the last who went out,’ i.e. until all were gone. The feature that the eldest (who probably stood nearest to Jesus) were the first to go out, is characteristic and original; but that the going away took place in the order of rank, is a meaning imported into the words by the expositors. After ἀκούσ . the received text has καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς συνειδήσεως ἐλεγχόμενοι , a gloss opposed to very important witnesses; but as to the matter of fact, right enough.
μόνος ὁ Ἰησ ., κ . τ . λ .] Augustine well says: “Relicta sunt duo, miseria et misericordia.” But it does not exclude the presence of the disciples and the crowds of lookers-on at a distance.
[8] According to whom Christ wrote the sins of His accusers and of all mortals!