Text -- John 10:1-9 (NET)

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 10:2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.” 10:6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. 10:8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Joh 10:1

¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

² sn There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus’ day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, αὐλή [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).

³ tn Or “entrance.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:3

¹ tn Or “porter” (British English).

sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.

² tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

³ tn Grk “For this one.”

⁴ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

⁵ sn He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.

NET Notes: Joh 10:4

¹ tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

² tn Grk “because they know.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:5

¹ tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”

² tn Grk “know.”

³ tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:6

¹ sn A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word παροιμίαν (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where παραβολή (parabolh) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.

² tn Grk “these.”

³ tn Or “comprehend.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:7

¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

² tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:8

¹ tn Grk “are” (present tense).

² tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”

NET Notes: Joh 10:9

¹ tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eisercomai kai exercomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.

² sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.