John:10:11-18
Seeker Overlay ON
rwp @
John:10:11 @{
I am the good shepherd } (\
eg
eimi ho poim
n ho kalos \).
Note repetition of the article , "
the shepherd the good one ."
Takes up the metaphor of verses 2ff |.
Vulgate _pastor
bonus_
.
Philo calls his good shepherd \
agathos \,
but \
kalos \
calls attention to the beauty in character and service like "
good stewards " (
1Peter:4:10 |), "
a good minister of Christ Jesus " (
1Timothy:4:6 |).
Often both adjectives appear together in the ancient Greek as once in the New Testament (
Luke:8:15 |). "
Beauty is as beauty does ."
That is \
kalos \. {
Layeth down his life for his sheep } (\
t
n psuch
n autou tith
sin huper t
n probat
n \).
For illustration see strkjv @
1Samuel:17:35 | (
David '
s experience )
and strkjv @
Isaiah:31:4 |.
Dods quotes Xenophon (
_Mem_
.
ii .
7 ,
14 )
who pictures even the sheep dog as saying to the sheep : "
For I am the one that saves you also so that you are neither stolen by men nor seized by wolves ."
Hippocrates has \
psuch
n katetheto \ (
he laid down his life ,
i .
e .
died ).
In strkjv @
Judges:12:3 | \
eth
ka t
n psuch
n \
means "
I risked my life ."
The true physician does this for his patient as the shepherd for his sheep .
The use of \
huper \
here (
over ,
in behalf of ,
instead of ),
but in the papyri \
huper \
is the usual preposition for substitution rather than \
anti \.
This shepherd gives his life for the sin of the world (
1:29 ;
strkjv @
1John:2:2 |).
rwp @
John:10:12 @{
He that is a hireling } (\
ho misth
tos \).
Old word from \
mistho \,
to hire (
Matthew:20:1 |)
from \
misthos \ (
hire ,
wages ,
strkjv @
Luke:10:7 |),
in N .
T .
only in this passage .
Literally , "
the hireling and not being a shepherd " (\
ho misth
tos kai ouk
n poim
n \).
Note \
ouk \
with the participle \
n \
to emphasize the certainty that he is not a shepherd in contrast with \
m
eiserchomenos \
in verse 1 | (
conceived case ).
See same contrast in strkjv @
1Peter:1:8 |
between \
ouk idontes \
and \
m
hor
ntes \.
The hireling here is not necessarily the thief and robber of verses 1 ,
8 |.
He may conceivably be a nominal shepherd (
pastor )
of the flock who serves only for the money ,
a sin against which Peter warned the shepherds of the flock "
not for shameful gain " (
1Peter:5:2 |). {
Whose own } (\
hou idia \).
Every true shepherd considers the sheep in his care "
his own " (\
idia \)
even if he does not actually "
own "
them .
The mere "
hireling "
does not feel so . {
Beholdeth } (\
the
rei \).
Vivid dramatic present ,
active indicative of \
the
re \,
a graphic picture . {
The wolf coming } (\
ton lukon erchomenon \).
Present middle predicate participle of \
erchomai \. {
Leaveth the sheep ,
and fleeth } (\
aphi
sin ta probata kai pheugei \).
Graphic present actives again of \
aphi
mi \
and \
pheug \.
The cowardly hireling cares naught for the sheep ,
but only for his own skin .
The wolf was the chief peril to sheep in Palestine .
See strkjv @
Matthew:10:6 |
where Jesus says : "
Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves ." {
And the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them } (\
kai ho lukos harpazei kai skorpizei \).
Vivid parenthesis in the midst of the picture of the conduct of the hireling .
Bold verbs these .
For the old verb \
harpaz \
see strkjv @
John:6:15 ;
strkjv @
Matthew:11:12 |,
and for \
skorpiz \,
late word (
Plutarch )
for the Attic \
skedannumi \,
see strkjv @
Matthew:12:30 |.
It occurs in the vision of Ezekiel (
Ezekiel:34:5 |)
where because of the careless shepherds "
the sheep became meat to all the beasts of the field ,
and were scattered ."
Jesus uses \
harpaz \
in strkjv @
10:29 |
where no one is able "
to snatch "
one out of the Father '
s hand .
rwp @
John:10:13 @{
Because he is a hireling } (\
hoti misth
tos estin \).
And only that ,
without the shepherd heart that loves the sheep .
Reason given for the conduct of the hireling after the parenthesis about the wolf . {
And careth not for the sheep } (\
kai ou melei aut
i peri t
n probat
n \).
Literally , "
and it is no care to him about the sheep ."
This use of the impersonal \
melei \ (
present active indicative )
is quite common ,
as in strkjv @
Matthew:22:16 |.
But God does care (
1Peter:5:7 |).
rwp @
John:10:14 @{
I am the good-shepherd } (\
eg
eimi ho poim
n ho kalos \).
Effective repetition . {
And mine own know me } (\
kai gin
skousin me ta ema \).
Jesus as the Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name as he had already said (
verse 3 |)
and now repeats .
Yes ,
and they know his voice (
verse 4 |),
they have experimental knowledge (\
gin
sk \)
of Jesus as their own Shepherd .
Here (
in this mutually reciprocal knowledge )
lies the secret of their love and loyalty .
rwp @
John:10:15 @{
And I know the Father } (\
kag
gin
sk
ton patera \).
Hence he is qualified to reveal the Father (
1:18 |).
The comparison of the mutually reciprocal knowledge between the Father and the Son illustrates what he has just said ,
though it stands above all else (
Matthew:11:27 ;
strkjv @
Luke:10:22 ;
strkjv @
John:17:21-26 |).
We cannot claim such perfect knowledge of the Good Shepherd as exists between the Father and the Son and yet the real sheep do know the Shepherd '
s voice and do love to follow his leadership here and now in spite of thieves ,
robbers ,
wolves ,
hirelings . {
And I lay down my life for the sheep } (\
kai t
n psuch
n mou tith
mi huper t
n probat
n \).
This he had said in verse 11 |,
but he repeats it now for clearness .
This he does not just as an example for the sheep and for under-shepherds ,
but primarily to save the sheep from the wolves ,
the thieves and robbers .
rwp @
John:10:16 @{
Other sheep } (\
alla probata \).
Sheep ,
not goats ,
but "
not of this fold " (\
ek t
s aul
s taut
s \).
See verse 1 |
for \
aul \.
Clearly "
his flock is not confined to those enclosed in the Jewish fold ,
whether in Palestine or elsewhere " (
Westcott ).
Christ '
s horizon takes in all men of all races and times (
John:11:52 ;
strkjv @
12:32 |).
The world mission of Christ for all nations is no new idea with him (
Matthew:8:11 ;
strkjv @
Luke:13:28 |).
God loved the world and gave his Son for the race (\
John strkjv @
3:16 \), {
Them also I must bring } (\
kakeina dei me agagein \).
Second aorist active infinitive of \
ag \
with \
dei \
expressing the moral urgency of Christ '
s passion for God '
s people in all lands and ages .
Missions in Christ '
s mind takes in the whole world .
This is according to prophecy (
Isaiah:42:6 ;
strkjv @
49:6 ;
strkjv @
56:8 |)
for the Messiah is to be a Light also to the Gentiles .
It was typified by the brazen serpent (
John:3:14 |).
Christ died for every man .
The Pharisees doubtless listened in amazement and even the disciples with slow comprehension . {
And they shall hear my voice } (\
kai t
s ph
n
s mou akousontai \).
Future middle indicative of \
akou \
with the genitive \
ph
n
s \.
These words read like a transcript from the Acts and the Epistles of Paul (
Romans:9-11 |
in particular ).
See especially Paul '
s words in strkjv @
Acts:28:28 |.
Present-day Christianity is here foretold .
Only do we really listen to the voice of the Shepherd as we should ?
Jesus means that the Gentiles will hearken if the Jews turn away from him . {
And they shall become one flock ,
one shepherd } (\
kai gen
sontai mia poimn ,
heis poim
n \).
Future middle indicative of \
ginomai \,
plural ,
not singular \
gen
setai \
as some MSS .
have it .
All (
Jews and Gentiles )
will form one flock under one Shepherd .
Note the distinction here by Jesus between \
poimn \ (
old word ,
contraction of \
poimen \
from \
poim
n \,
shepherd ),
as in strkjv @
Matthew:26:31 |,
and \
aul \ (
fold )
just before .
There may be many folds of the one flock .
Jerome in his Vulgate confused this distinction ,
but he is wrong .
His use of _ovile_
for both \
aul \
and \
pomnion \
has helped Roman Catholic assumptions .
Christ '
s use of "
flock " (\
poimn \)
here is just another metaphor for kingdom (\
basileia \)
in strkjv @
Matthew:8:11 |
where the children of the kingdom come from all climes and nations .
See also the various metaphors in strkjv @
Ephesians:2 |
for this same idea .
There is only the one Great Shepherd of the sheep (
Hebrews:13:20 |),
Jesus Christ our Lord .
rwp @
John:10:17 @{
For this reason } (\
dia touto \).
Points to the following \
hoti \
clause .
The Father '
s love for the Son is drawn out (
John:3:16 |)
by the voluntary offering of the Son for the sin of the world (
Romans:5:8 |).
Hence the greater exaltation (
Phillipians:2:9 |).
Jesus does for us what any good shepherd does (
10:11 |)
as he has already said (
10:15 |).
The value of the atoning death of Christ lies in the fact that he is the Son of God ,
the Son of Man ,
free of sin ,
and that he makes the offering voluntarily (
Hebrews:9:14 |). {
That I may take it again } (\
hina palin lab
aut
n \).
Purpose clause with \
hina \
and second aorist active subjunctive of \
lamban \.
He looked beyond his death on the Cross to the resurrection . "
The purpose of the Passion was not merely to exhibit his unselfish love ;
it was in order that He might resume His life ,
now enriched with quickening power as never before " (
Bernard ).
The Father raised Jesus from the dead (
Acts:2:32 |).
There is spontaneity in the surrender to death and in the taking life back again (
Dods ).
rwp @
John:10:18 @{
No one taketh it away from me } (\
oudeis airei aut
n ap '
emou \).
But Aleph B read \
ren \ (
first aorist active indicative of \
air \,
to take away ),
probably correct (
Westcott and Hort ). "
John is representing Jesus as speaking _sub
specie aeternitatis_
" (
Bernard ).
He speaks of his death as already past and the resurrection as already accomplished .
Cf .
strkjv @
John:3:16 |. {
Of myself } (\
ap '
emautou \).
The voluntariness of the death of Jesus repeated and sharpened .
D omits it ,
probably because of superficial and apparent conflict with strkjv @
5:19 |.
But there is no inconsistency as is shown by strkjv @
John:3:16 ;
strkjv @
Romans:5:8 |.
The Father "
gave "
the Son who was glad to be given and to give himself . {
I have power to lay it down } (\
exousian ech
theinai aut
n \). \
Exousia \
is not an easy word to translate (
right ,
authority ,
power ,
privilege ).
See strkjv @
1:12 |.
Restatement of the voluntariness of his death for the sheep .