John 10:1-10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 10:1-18

It is not certain whether this discourse was at the feast of dedication in the winter (spoken of John 10:22), which may be taken as the date, not only of what follows, but of what goes before (that which countenances this is, that Christ, in his discourse there, carries on the metaphor of the sheep, John 10:26, 27, whence it seems that that discourse and this were at the same time); or whether this was a continuation of his parley with the Pharisees, in the close of the foregoing chapter. The... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 10:1-6

10:1-6 Jesus said: "This is the truth I tell you; he who does not enter the sheepfold through the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But he who comes in through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The keeper of the door opens the door to him; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he puts his own sheep out, he walks in front of them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But they will not... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 10:1-6

The Palestinian shepherd had different ways of doing things from the shepherds of our country; and, to get the full meaning of this picture, we must look at the shepherd and the way in which he worked. His equipment was very simple. He had his scrip, a bag made of the skin of an animal, in which he carried his food. In it he would have no more than bread, dried fruit, some olives and cheese. He had his sting. The skill of many of the men of Palestine was such that they "could sling a stone... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 10:7-10

10:7-10 So Jesus said to them again: "This is the truth I tell you--I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If any man enter in through me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out, and he will find pasture. The thief comes only to kill and to steal and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The Jews did not understand the meaning of the story... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:1

Verily, verily, I say unto you ,.... To the Scribes and Pharisees, who had taken it ill that they should be thought to be blind; and who had cast out the man that Christ had cured of blindness, for speaking in favour of him; and who had traduced Christ as an impostor, and a deceiver, and set up themselves to be the shepherds of the flock, and the guides and rulers of the people; all which occasion the following parable; the design of which is to show, that Christ is the true and only... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:2

But he that entereth in by the door ,.... With a divine commission, and by a divine authority, who comes not of himself, but is sent; does not take the honour to himself, or thrust in himself, and assume an office to himself, but is called unto it, and invested in it, he is the shepherd of the sheep ; by whom Christ means himself, as is evident from John 10:11 , whose the sheep are, and who takes care of them, and feeds them, as a shepherd does his flock; and which holds true of any... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:3

To him the porter openeth ,.... There is nothing in the explanation of this parable given by Christ, that directs to the sense of this clause; the allusion cannot be, as some have thought, to great men, who have porters at their gates, to open them, and let in persons that come and knock; since the parable is concerning the sheepfold, and the shepherd, and the sheep that go into it; and therefore must refer to one that at least, at certain times, stood by the door of the sheepfold, and had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:4

And when he putteth forth his own sheep ,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "when he leads them all out"; in order to bring them into proper pastures: he goeth before them ; in allusion to the eastern shepherds, who when they put out their flocks, did not, as ours do, drive them before them, and follow after them, at least not always, but went before them: so Christ, the great shepherd, goes before his flock, not only to provide for them, but by way of example to them; in many instances he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:5

And a stranger will they not follow ,.... One that knows not Christ, is not sent by him, and who does not preach him: but will flee from him ; shun him and his ministry, as not only disagreeable, but dangerous: for they know not the voice of strangers : they do not approve of their doctrine, nor take any delight in it, or receive any profit from it. The Persic version, as before, reads, "neither will the lambs ever go after strange sheep, and if they see them , they will flee from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 10:6

This parable spake Jesus unto them ,.... To the Pharisees, who were with him, John 9:40 ; but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them ; the things spoken by him being delivered in a parabolical way, though in lively figures, and in terms plain and easy to be understood; yet what through the blindness of their minds, and the hardness of their hearts, and their prejudices in favour of themselves, and against Christ, they did not understand what were meant by... read more

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