John 10:14-18

10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I ¹  know my own ²  and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life ³  for ⁴  the sheep. 10:16 I have ⁵  other sheep that do not come from ⁶  this sheepfold. ⁷  I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, ⁸  so that ⁹  there will be one flock and ¹⁰  one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me ¹¹  – because I lay down my life, ¹²  so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ¹³  of my own free will. ¹⁴  I have the authority ¹⁵  to lay it down, and I have the authority ¹⁶  to take it back again. This commandment ¹⁷  I received from my Father.”

[10:14]  ¹ tn Grk “And I.” 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.

[10:14]  ² tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”

[10:15]  ³ tn Or “I die willingly.”

[10:15]  ⁴ tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”

[10:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “And I have.” 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.

[10:16]  ⁶ tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”

[10:16]  ⁷ sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world – not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.

[10:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”

[10:16]  ⁹ tn Grk “voice, and.”

[10:16]  ¹⁰ tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.

[10:17]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”

[10:17]  ¹² tn Or “die willingly.”

[10:18]  ¹³ tn Or “give it up.”

[10:18]  ¹⁴ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

[10:18]  ¹⁵ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ¹⁶ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ¹⁷ tn Or “order.”