The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.
Parallel Translations
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The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.
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The heyred servaut flyeth because he is an heyred servaunt and careth not for the shepe.
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So the hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheepe.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to John 10:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- John 12:6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
- Philippians 2:20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.
- Acts 18:17 Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 13. The hireling fleeth. The reason is, because he…
13. The hireling fleeth. The reason is, because he careth not for the sheep, which means, that his heart is not moved by the scattering of the flock, because he thinks that it does not at all belong to him. For he who looks to the hire, and not to the flock, though he may deceive others, when the Church is in a state of tranquillity, yet when he comes into the contest, will give proof of his treachery.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling,…
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Ver. 13. The hireling fleeth] Yet is not every one that fleeth to be judged a hireling presently. There is a lawful flight, as when the quarrel is personal, &c. Christ fled often when persecuted; so may we. God hath made us not as butts to be perpetually shot at; but as the marks of rovers, movable, as the wind and sun may best serve. Fuge, fuge, Brenti, cite, citius, citissime: Flee, flee, flee, Brentius, quickly, more quickly, very quickly, so friendly did a senator of Hala advise Brentius. He embraced the advice, and saved his life by it. (Melch. Adam. in Vit. Brentii.)
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The reason why he that is a mere hired…
The reason why he that is a mere hired servant, and hath no property in the sheep, fleeth, is, because he is a hireling, and doth what he doth merely for his wages; and when a danger ariseth, which his wages will not balance, he will never encounter it; he hath no property in the sheep, nor any love to them, nor care for them.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling,.... And…
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling,.... And has no propriety in the sheep; had he, he would abide by them, and defend them; but because he has not, he will not expose himself to any danger, but leaves them:
and careth not for the sheep; what becomes of them, providing only for his own safety. Abarbinel (y) has a note on Isa 40:11 which may serve to illustrate this passage:
Read full note →
""he shall feed his flock like a shepherd"; not as he that feeds the flock of others, for the hire they give him, but as a shepherd that feeds his own flock; who has compassion more abundantly on it, because it is his own flock; and therefore he saith, "behold his reward is with him", for he does not seek a reward from another; "and his work is before him"; for he feeds what is his own, and therefore his eyes and his heart are there.''
Which is not the case of the hireling; he does not care for them, he has not their good at heart; but the good shepherd has, such an one as Christ is.
(y) Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 20. 4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The hireling fleeth because he is a hireling -…
The hireling fleeth because he is a hireling - Because he loves the hire, not the sheep.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Because he is a hireling - Because he regards…
Because he is a hireling - Because he regards only his wages. He feels no special interest in the flock.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Every bishop and pastor is bound to abide with…
Every bishop and pastor is bound to abide with his flock in the time of danger, and persecution, except himself be personally sought for, rather than his flock, or the flock itself forsake him. In such cases the pastor may fly, as the apostles did, and St. Athanasius and others. (St. Athanasius, Apol. de sua fuga.; St. Augustine, ep. 180.)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 13. Because he is a hireling—His only interest is…
13. Because he is a hireling—His only interest is his wages, in contradistinction from the owner, whose interest is in the sheep.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 13. The hireling fleeth] These words are of still…
13. The hireling fleeth] These words are of still more doubtful authority. Omitting both the doubtful portions the sentence will run (The hireling) leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth (them); because he is an hireling and careth not, &c.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (13) The hireling fleeth.—These words are again an addition…
(13) The hireling fleeth.—These words are again an addition to the text, and should he omitted with the great majority of the best authorities. If we omit them this verse must be immediately connected with that which precedes, the last clause of which is a parenthesis—“But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth (and the wolf catcheth them, and maketh havoc), because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” The sense is not affected by the omission, and the words were apparently added as a gloss to make the meaning clear. The thought of the hireling is repeated to express the nature of the man, and to strengthen the contrast with the Good Shepherd which immediately follows.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain (The hirelingfleeth) because he is a hireling, and careth…
(The hirelingfleeth) because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. He only cares for himself. He is no match for the wolf of temptation, or disease, or death, lie wants to reap the personal advantage of his temporary office, and, if his own interests are imperiled, he can leave them to any other hireling, or to the wolf. Melancholy picture this of much deserted duty.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.