My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Show the surrounding paragraph
John 10:27-29 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Parallel Translations
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My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
-
my shepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they folowe me and
I geve vnto the eternall lyfe and they shall never perisshe nether shall eny man plucke the oute of my honde.
My father which gave the me is greatter then all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers honde.
Show all 3 translations
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My sheepe heare my voyce, and I knowe them, and they follow me,
And I giue vnto them eternall life, and they shall neuer perish, neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand.
My Father which gaue them me, is greater then all, and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (91)
- John 6:39-40 (v28) This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.…
- John 6:37 (vv28–29) All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out.
- John 10:16 (v27) I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one…
- John 10:14 (v27) I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;
- John 3:15-16 (v28) that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that…
Show all 89 cross-references
- Hebrews 7:25 (v28) Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make…
- 1 Corinthians 8:3 (v27) But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him.
- Revelation 3:20 (v27) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and…
- John 18:9 (v28) that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.”
- Romans 8:29 (v28) For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
- John 10:3-4 (v27) The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. Whenever he…
- Isaiah 54:17 (v28) No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the…
- Philippians 1:6 (v28) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 3:7 (v27) Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice,
- John 5:25 (v27) Most certainly I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.
- John 4:14 (v28) but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well…
- John 8:12 (v27) Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have…
- 1 John 2:25 (v28) This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.
- Romans 8:1 (v28) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
- Galatians 4:9 (v27) But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental…
- Jude 1:24 (v28) Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
- John 17:2 (vv28–29) even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
- John 5:24 (v28) “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has…
- John 10:8 (v27) All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.
- John 12:26 (v27) If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
- John 8:43 (v27) Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.
- 1 John 2:19 (v28) They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that…
- 1 Peter 1:5 (v28) who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- 1 John 5:11 (v28) The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
- Deuteronomy 33:3 (v28) Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words.
- Psalms 37:28 (v28) For Yahweh loves justice, and doesn’t forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
- Luke 9:23 (v27) He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
- Jude 1:21 (v28) Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
- 1 Kings 18:21 (v27) Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal,…
- Matthew 17:5 (v27) While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved…
- Luke 22:31-32 (v28) The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your…
- Colossians 3:3-4 (v28) For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in…
- 2 Timothy 2:19 (v27) However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the…
- Psalms 103:17-18 (v28) But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children, to those…
- John 17:11-12 (v28) I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have…
- John 21:22 (v27) Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”
- Mark 8:34 (v27) He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up…
- Isaiah 45:17 (v28) Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
- Matthew 7:23 (v27) Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
- Matthew 16:24 (v27) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
- Matthew 25:12 (v27) But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
- Luke 13:27 (v27) He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’
- 1 John 5:13-20 (v28) These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you…
- Jeremiah 31:3 (v28) Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.
- Mark 10:21 (v27) Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have…
- John 11:25 (v28) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
- Acts 3:23 (v27) It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
- Romans 8:33-39 (v28) Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who…
- Proverbs 24:16 (v28) for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
- John 17:9 (v29) I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
- Jude 1:1 (v28) Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
- Revelation 14:4 (v27) These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were…
- John 3:36 (v28) One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
- John 14:28 (v29) You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (v28) But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation…
- Job 17:9 (v28) Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
- Malachi 1:14 (v29) “But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,”…
- John 6:47 (v28) Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.
- John 17:6 (v29) I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept…
- Romans 5:21 (v28) that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- 2 Timothy 1:12 (v28) For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to…
- 1 Samuel 2:9 (v28) He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
- Psalms 125:1-2 (v28) Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh…
- Proverbs 4:18 (v28) But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
- Jeremiah 32:40 (v28) I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good. I will put my fear in their…
- John 6:27 (v28) Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the…
- John 14:19 (v28) Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.
- John 17:11 (v29) I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have…
- Acts 7:59 (v28) They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
- Romans 5:2 (v28) through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
- Romans 5:17 (v28) For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the…
- Romans 6:23 (v28) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- 1 Timothy 1:16 (v28) However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were…
- Psalms 31:5 (v28) Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (v28) They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their…
- Luke 23:46 (v28) Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
- John 6:68 (v28) Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
- Romans 5:9 (v28) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
- Exodus 18:11 (v29) Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
- Isaiah 55:3 (v28) Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
- Mark 13:22 (v28) For there will arise false christs and false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the…
- Psalms 145:3 (v29) Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.
- Daniel 4:3 (v29) How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. His dominion is from generation to generation.
- John 5:39-40 (v28) “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will…
89 distinct cross-references across this passage (91 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv27–28 27. My sheep hear my voice. He proves by…
27. My sheep hear my voice. He proves by an argument drawn from contraries, that they are not sheep, because they do not obey the Gospel. For God effectually calls all whom he has elected, so that the sheep of Christ are proved by their faith. And, indeed, the reason why the name of sheep is applied to believers is, that they surrender themselves to God, to be governed by the hand of the Chief Shepherd, and, laying aside the fierceness of their nature, become mild and teachable. It is no small consolation to faithful teachers, that, though the greater part of the world do not listen to Christ, yet he has his sheep whom he knows, and by whom he is also known Let them do their utmost to bring the whole world into the fold of Christ; but when they do not succeed according to their wish, let them be satisfied with this single consideration, that they who are sheep will be gathered by their agency. The rest has been already explained.
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 On vv27–29 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know…
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Ver. 27. My sheep hear my voice] Buxtorf in his "Tiberius" noteth, that the Jer 21:7; consisteth of 42 words and of a 160 letters. I am not at leisure to count the words and letters of this and the following verses; but it is easy to observe in them those five links of that golden chain of God’s grace in our salvation: "my sheep," there is election; "hear my voice," there is vocation; "and I know them," there is justification; "and they follow me," there is sanctification; "and I give unto them eternal life," there is glorification.
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 On vv27–29 This is the same which he said: See Poole…
This is the same which he said: See Poole on "Joh 10:4".
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On vv27–28 Here observe, 1. That all sincere and faithful Christians…
Here observe, 1. That all sincere and faithful Christians are Christ’s sheep, and he is their great and good shepherd. This relation implies tender affection, powerful protection, and plentiful provision. The tenderness of Christ’s affection, towards his sheep, appears by pitying their infirmities, by having a fellow felling with them in their suffering, by suiting their temptations to the degrees of their graces. His care in providing for them appears in affording to them the holy scriptures, the ministry of the word the administration of the sacraments, and the operation of his Holy Spirit, to make all efficacious and effectual to them. His protection of them discovers itself, by preparing them for trials by supporting them under them, and by delivering them out of them, and by sanctifying all to them, causing them to work together in subserviency to his own glory, and his people’s good.
Observe, 2. That Christ’s sheep hear Christ’s voice, and answer the call of their great Shepherd. They hear the voice of Christ speaking to them in the scriptures, in the ministry of the word, in their own conscience, in providences; and they hear Christ’s voice speaking to them, in and by his Holy Spirit; and as they hear Christ’s voice, so do they answer his call; now the right answer to the call of Christ in the gospel, is a present answer, a willing answer and an abiding answer.
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Observe, 3. That all Christ’s sheep do follow him their shepherd. They follow him,
1. In his doctrine; and
2. In his example, in his contempt of the heavenly-mindedness of his conversation, in his meekness and patience, in charity and universal goodness, and as he was a mighty pattern of prayer.
Observe, 4. That Christ, the great and good Shepherd, knows all his sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them. He knows them so as to distinguish them, so as to observe and take notice of them, so as to own and approve them, so as to take care of them, and provide for them.
And as the Lord knoweth who are his, so he knoweth who are not his too; as he knows his sheep, so he knows the goats also, and their place will be at his left hand. My sheep hear my voice and I know them.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv27–29 My sheep hear my voice,.... The voice of Christ…
My sheep hear my voice,.... The voice of Christ in his Gospel, both externally and internally; See Gill on Joh 10:4, See Gill on Joh 10:16; and since therefore these Jews did not, it was a plain case they were not of his sheep:
and I know them; See Gill on Joh 10:14; but Christ knew not these as the elect of God, or as the Father's gift to him, and therefore they could not be his sheep:
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and they follow me; both in the exercise of grace, and in the discharge of duty, and whithersoever he the good shepherd leads them; See Gill on Joh 10:3, See Gill on Joh 10:4. But now, whereas these Jews did not follow Christ, but turned their backs on him, and rejected him, it was notorious that they were none of his sheep; but both happy and safe are those persons, that are the sheep of Christ, as appears from what is next said of them.
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 On v27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,…
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, &c.- Our Lord still alludes to the discourse he had before this festival. As if he had said, My sheep are they who,
1. Hear my voice by faith;
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2. Are known (that is, approved) by me, as loving me; and
3. Follow me, keep my commandments, with a believing, loving heart. And to those who,
1. Truly believe (observe three promises annexed to three conditions) I give eternal life. He does not say, I will, but I give. For he that believeth hath everlasting life. Those whom,
2. I know truly to love me, shall never perish, provided they abide in my love.
3. Those who follow me, neither men nor devils can pluck out of my hand. My Father who hath, by an unchangeable decree, given me all that believe, love, and obey, is greater than all in heaven or earth, and none is able to pluck them out of his hand.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv27–29 Verse 27. My sheep hear my voice] But ye…
Verse 27. My sheep hear my voice] But ye will not hear:- my sheep follow me; but ye will neither follow nor acknowledge me. Any person who reads without prejudice may easily see, that our Lord does not at all insinuate that these persons could not believe, because God had made it impossible to them; but simply because they did not hear and follow Christ, which the whole of our blessed Lord's discourse proves that they might have done. The sheep of Christ are not those who are included in any eternal decree, to the exclusion of others from the yearnings of the bowels of eternal mercy; but they are those who hear, believe in, follow, and obey the Saviour of the world.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v27 Joh 10:27-31. My sheep hear my voice, &c. —…
Joh 10:27-31. My sheep hear my voice, &c. — Our Lord still alludes to the discourse he had had before this festival. As if he had said, My sheep are those who, 1st, Hear my voice by faith; 2d, Are known (that is, approved) by me as loving me; and, 3d, Follow me, keep my commandments, with a believing, loving heart. And to those who, 1st, Truly believe, (observe three promises annexed to three conditions,) I give eternal life. He does not say, I will give, but I give. For he that believeth, hath everlasting life. Those whom, 2d, I know truly to love me, shall never perish, provided they abide in my love. 3d, Those who follow me, neither men nor devils can pluck out of my hand. My Father — Who hath, by an unchangeable decree, given me all that believe, love, and obey, is greater than all in heaven or earth, and none is able to pluck them out of his hand. I and the Father are one — Not by consent of will only, but by unity of power, and consequently of nature. Are — This word confutes Sabellius, proving the plurality of persons; one — This word confutes Arius, proving the unity of nature in God. Never did any prophet before, from the beginning of the world, use any one expression of himself which could possibly be so interpreted, as this and other expressions were, by all that heard our Lord speak. Indeed, his hearers were provoked to such a degree by what he now said, that they took up stones, and were going to kill him outright, imagining that he had spoken blasphemy.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv27–29 My sheep - My church, my people, those who…
My sheep - My church, my people, those who have the true spirit of my followers. The name is given to his people because it was an illustration which would be well understood in a country abounding in flocks. There is also a striking resemblance, which he proceeds to state, between them.
Hear my voice - See Joh 10:3-4. Applied to Christians, it means that they hear and obey his commandments.
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I know them - See Joh 10:14.They follow me - A flock follows its shepherd to pastures and streams, Joh 10:3. Christians not only obey Christ, but they imitate him; they go where his Spirit and providence lead them; they yield themselves to his guidance, and seek to be led by him. When Jesus was upon earth many of his disciples followed or attended him from place to place. Hence, Christians are called his followers, and in Rev 14:4 they are described as “they that follow the Lamb.”
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 On vv27–29 Christ here says that his sheep hear his voice,…
Christ here says that his sheep hear his voice, and follow him: but let us ask ourselves, Do we cling close to this heavenly shepherd? Do we follow him, both by our faith and by our lives? Do we know him, and hear his voice? Do we fly from strangers, the world, the flesh, and the devil? If so, we are his sheep indeed; and if we persevere, he will bring us, in spite of the world, the flesh, and the devil, to the pastures of eternal life. But if we run away from our shepherd, to follow these strangers, we must expect to fall a prey to wolves. (Med. vol. ii. p. 417)
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv27–29 My sheep hear my voice, &c.--(See on Joh 10:8).
My sheep hear my voice, &c.--(See on Joh 10:8).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv27–29 27. My sheep hear my voice—As the blind-born did.…
27. My sheep hear my voice—As the blind-born did. Those who are bent on holiness and salvation show it by listening to Christ and his Gospel. It is very illogical to infer from all this the doctrine that no man will lose or abandon the character of a sheep of Christ, that is, of a true believer. Qualities or conduct ascribed to persons as possessed of a certain character, do not imply that the character itself may not change. A hireling fleeth because he is a hireling; but that does not prove but that the man may cease to be a hireling. A thief and a robber will kill and destroy; but that does not prove that a thief or robber may not, like Saul of Tarsus, cease to be a thief and robber. So a sheep will follow Christ; but that does not imply but that the man may cease to be a sheep and even become a goat. For a man may as truly from a sheep become a goat, as from a goat become a 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 On vv27–29 27, 28. Note the simple but very impressive coupling…
27, 28. Note the simple but very impressive coupling of the clauses by a simple ‘and’ throughout and comp. Joh_10:3; Joh_10:12 : note also the climax.
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 On vv27, 29 (27, 28) The reference to those who believe not…
(27, 28) The reference to those who believe not because they were not of His sheep, introduces the contrast between them and those who were, and the position of the true members of the flock is expanded in this pair of parallel clauses. One member of each pair refers to the act or state of the sheep; and the other to the act or gift of the Shepherd. The pairs proceed in a climax from the first response of the conscience which recognises the divine voice to the eternal home which is in the Father’s presence.
(1) “My sheep hear My voice,” . . “and I know them;”
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(2) “And they follow Me” . . “and I give unto them eternal life;”
(3) “And they shall never perish” . . . “neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”
By reading successively the clauses placed on the left side of the page, we trace the progress of the human act and state; by reading, in the same way, the clauses on the right side of the page, we trace the progress of the divine gift; by reading each pair in the order of the text, we see how at each stage the gift is proportioned to the faculty which can receive it.
The earlier clauses are familiar to us from the preceding discourse, but some expressions will need a word of explanation.
Eternal life.—Comp. Joh_10:10, where the word “eternal” is added in some readings. Here the verb is in the present, “I give (am now giving) them.” (Comp. Joh_3:15; Joh_5:24; Joh_6:47 et seq.). We cannot be too careful to observe that our Lord’s thoughts of “eternal life” is never of the future only. It is a development, rather than a simply future existence. We shall live eternally, because we now live spiritually in communion with the Spirit who is Eternal.
And they shall never perish.—Comp. Notes on Joh_8:51; Joh_11:25-26. The negative is in the strongest form—“They shall by no means perish for ever.”
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.—Better (comp. Joh_10:18), and none shall pluck them . . . The words should not be limited by the insertion of the word man. They are to be taken as including every spiritual foe; all thieves and robbers that would break into the fold; all wolves that would rend the flock; the adversary who “as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” (Comp. especially for the full thought of no separation from Christ, Rom_8:38-39.) The words “out of my hand” express alike the strength which protects, and guidance which leads, and comfort which cherishes. (See Isa_40:11.) Out of this hand none shall pluck. Yet we are to bear in mind that the sheep itself may wander from the shepherd’s care, and that all the fulness of these promises depends upon the human will, which is included in the first clause, “My sheep hear my voice . . . and they follow me.”
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 On vv27, 29 Vers. 27-30. (2) Christ"s claim to equality of power…
Vers. 27-30. (2) Christ"s claim to equality of power and essence, and similarity of gracious operation with the Father.
Vers. 27, 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand.
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Commentators have differed as to the arrangement of these two verses whether the six assertions should be regarded as two triplets, in the first of which the sheep of Christ are made prominent, and in the latter of which the Shepherd; thus
(1) The sheep "My sheep hear my voice" (their receptivity). "And I know them" (the Lord"s response to their faith). "And they follow me" (their active obedience).
(2) The Shepherd "I give them eternal life" (involving freedom from peril and death). "They shall not perish forever." "No one (not man or devil, wolf or hireling) shall pluck them out of my hand.
This is not so satisfactory as the arrangement which puts this weighty saying into three couplets instead of two triplets; in which the sheep are the prominent theme of each proposition. The three couplets display the climacteric character of the wondrous rhythm and interchange of emotion between the Divine Shepherd and the sheepMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them"= mutual recognition.
They follow me, and I give them eternal life" = reciprocal activity. They shall not perish forever, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand" = an authoritative assurance, and its pledge or justification.
Christ"s knowledge of the sheep corresponds with their recognition of his supreme claims; theft active trust is rewarded by his greatest gift; their indefeasible birthright is guaranteed by his limitless authority and power to protect them. It would be gross perversion of the passage to urge this indefeasible birthright on the ground of a few occasional flashes of conscious assurance and without any recognition of all the terms of the relation.
Vers. 27-30. The Shepherd and the sheep.
Notice
I BELIEVERS IN RELATION TO CHRIST.
1. They are his property.
(1) By a double creation. The old and the new. He made them first men, and then Christians new creatures in himself. They are his workmanship.
(2) By a Divine gift. "The Father, which gave them me." They are the gifts of his Father"s love, given to him in trust for the purpose of salvation.
(3) By purchase. He laid down his life for them; redeemed them from the curse of the Law and from sin.
(4) By support. They are not merely his workmanship, but the sheep of his pasture. They are his.
2. They are his special property. Special:
(1) As they were purchased. His dominion is vast and wide; it ruleth over all. The universe is his estate, his property is infinite. But believers are his only "purchased possession.
(2) As they are very valuable. Their value can be to some extent estimated from the infinite price given for them the precious blood of Christ. He knew their value when he made the purchase. As such they are his special treasures, his jewels.
(3) As they are very useful. The sheep is one of the most useful animals of the fields. Its flesh is food, and its fine wool is garment. Believers are useful, and valuable because useful. Sheep in the East were the most useful property. What would be the richest pasture without sheep to graze it? What would the world be without man what its scenes without an eye, and its music without an ear? What would man be without faith in Christ and without godliness? The spiritual in man would be a power for evil. The soul would be barren, and the earth morally would be a desert, and would, as in the time of Noah, be utterly destroyed. Immanuel"s land would be useless without the sheep.
II SOME OF THEIR CHARACTERISTICS IN RELATION TO CHRIST.
1. They hear his voice." This implies:
(1) Recognition of his voice. In the religious world there are many voices that of the stranger, the thief, and the hireling. It is a Babel of sounds, and Christ"s voice is imitated. But believers recognize the voice of Jesus amidst all, and they recognize it as the voice of the Son of God and their Savior.
(2) Special attention to his voice. They not merely distinguish and know it as his, but attend and hear; and to them it is particularly sweet and charming like the sound of pardon to the condemned, the sound of health to the sick, or the sound of the trump of jubilee to the captives in the land of Israel of old. Even all the golden harps of heaven could not produce such a sweet music, and they listen with attention and rapturous delight.
(3) Willing acceptation by faith of his teaching. His voice does not die away in music and end in mere rapturous feelings. But its teaching sinks deep in the mind, produces genuine faith in the heart, and full and hearty acceptation and assent in the whole soul.
2. They follow him." The hearing results in following. This implies:
(1) An acknowledgment of his leadership. "They follow me." This is a practical acknowledgment of his right and fitness in every respect to lead. They have every confidence in him, and they fully trust and believe and obey. And they ought; for he is a Leader and Commander of the people the greatest Leader of all ages, the only Leader and Shepherd of souls.
(2) A practical proof of his influence over them and their adherence to him. "They follow." Why? Because he attracts them. It is the attraction of his Person, character, doctrine, life, love the attraction of food to the hungry; they are not driven, but drawn; they are filled, and they follow; they are impelled and attracted.
(3) An acknowledgment of their relative position. Christ leads and they follow. The Master first, then the disciples. This is the natural and Divine order. Peter once wished to reverse it. He impulsively wanted to lead, but he was peremptorily ordered to the rear. "Get thee behind me." The shepherd is to be in front, the sheep behind. They generally do, and ought to, observe the proper order.
(4) Constant progression towards his life. "They follow me." He writes a copy, and they imitate. He commands, and they obey. He goes before, and they follow. They are never at a standstill, but follow him whithersoever he goeth. The Christian life is not rest here, but a continual movement after and towards Christ. He is the mark, and his disciples press on towards it, and they get nearer every day.
III THE BLESSINGS THEY ENJOY IN RELATION TO CHRIST.
1. It is recognition of them. "I know them.
(1) His recognition of them is perfect. He knows them better than they know themselves, and before they know him. "Before Philip called thee," etc. He knows their outward circumstances and difficulties, their inward and real character, temptations and dangers. He knows them personally and individually. Not only he knows the flock generally, but he knows every sheep individually, and can call each one by name.
(2) His recognition of them is practical. He is not ashamed to own them as his. The relationship he publicly confesses. "My sheep." They are admitted to the circle of his immediate friendship, his sympathy, love, and help.
(3) His recognition to them is the highest honor. To be recognized by the great and rich of this world is considered a high honor. How much higher honor it is to be recognized by him who is Lord of all! This is the highest honor and distinction.
2. The enjoyment of the highest life. "I give," etc.
(1) This is the spiritual life of the soul. The life of God and of Christ within. Christ not only gave his life for the sheep, but also gave it to them, as a principle, an example, and inspiration of a new life in them. This is their greatest need.
(2) This life is the gift of Christ. "I give them." He alone could give it. It is the gift of his infinite love and free grace. It is most suitable to the recipients, and worthy of the princely Giver. No sum of money could purchase it, no amount of human merit could deserve it; but the Divine author graciously gives it to all his faithful adherents.
(3) It is the gift of Christ now. "I give them." It is not a mere promise, but a present gift.
(4) It is to be fully enjoyed in the future. "Eternal life." It is a life which has in it the elements of eternal continuance of happiness and fruition, and eternity is at its disposal.
3. Perfect safety.
(1) Safety from inward danger. "They shall never perish." Shall never fall victims to their inward corruption. The principle of life is between them and spiritual death.
(2) Safety from outward foes. "No one shall pluck them," etc. Believers are exposed to outward foes. The arch-thief and his emissaries are ever on the watch for an opportunity to steal and kill. But they are safe. "No one," etc.
(3) The safety of Divine care. "They are in his hand." They are so precious. Cost so much. So prone to wander. Their spiritual foes so anxious to have them as their prey, that they are not trusted anywhere but in Jesus" hand. They can never be taken by stealth. "They are in his hand.
(4) The safety of Almighty protection. "They are in his hand." His hand is in immediate connection with his arm, and his arm is almighty. No one can take them by force. "They are in his hand." The hand of his tender love, of his watchful care and almighty power.
IV THE SPECIAL GUARANTEES OF THESE BLESSINGS.
1. The absolute supremacy of the Father. "The Father, which gave them me, is greater than all.
(1) Greater than all things.
(2) Greater than all wicked men and spirits. Greater than their individual force, and all their forces combined.
(3) Greater than even the Son himself. In his humiliation, official capacity, and by Divine courtesy, Jesus, as Son, naturally ascribes supremacy to the Father. "My Father is greater than all.
2. The union of the Son with the Father. "I and the Father are one.
(1) One in nature and essence.
(2) One in power and authority.
(3) One in purpose and will
3. The consequent union of believers with both. If they are in Christ"s hand, they are in that of the Father; for they are one. They are thus in the impregnable fortresses of infinite power and love. Their life is divinely given and infinitely safe hid with Christ in God. No one shall, and no one is able to, pluck them hence.
LESSONS.
1. True believers have special characteristics. They are known of Christ, and may be known of men. The sheep of Christ are marked; the marks are they hear and follow him. Thus he knows them, and thus they may know themselves. To those who do not hear and follow, he says, "Ye are not of my sheep.
2. The enjoyment of the blessings of Christ depends upon compliance with the conditions. "They hear... and follow... and I give them," etc. This proves them to be his sheep, and ensures to them the care and defense of the good Shepherd, as well as all the blessings of the fold.
3. In the degree the conditions are complied with the blessings are enjoyed. "They follow me, and I give unto them," etc. I give as they follow. Where there is no following at all, there is no life; where the following is slack, the life is weak; but when close, life is strong and vigorous. The nearer to Jesus the greater the life. The impartation of eternal life is gradual, for the participation is gradual. As we follow he gives. We could not hold it all at once. Let us follow him more closely if we want more life.
4. The ultimate security of any one depends upon the following. The perseverance of the saints in grace to the end is a practical question. It is decided on the part of God. The Divine hand is safe. But is it decided on our part? Are we in it? "They shall never perish." Not in his hand. No one is able to pluck them out of it. Let us make sure that we are in it, and that we slip not out ourselves from it by not hearing and following Jesus. Then the question of our ultimate safety will be practically settled. B. T.
Vers. 27, 28. Quis separabit?
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them," etc. This is Christ"s last word concerning himself and his sheep; his last application of the allegory set forth in the beginning of the chapter. We may well wonder at its tone. The Speaker knew where he stood and what awaited him. The ancient fold, of which he had spoken, was invaded by hireling scribes and robber Sadducees. The true sheep were feeble and apparently helpless. In a few brief months they should be scattered, and he himself, their good Shepherd, smitten to death. Yet our Lord clings to his similitude, and. seems to us to rejoice in spirit, as he speaks of the everlasting bonds between himself and his flock. For his horizon was not bounded by the cross and the sepulcher, but by the joy that was set before him; and he foresaw that in the ages to come the sound of his voice should go out into all lands, and an ever-increasing multitude should follow him and receive from him eternal life. We must, therefore, look on these words as Christ"s perpetual and living testimony, and without forgetting that they were first spoken in an earthly temple, in Solomon"s Porch, let us listen to them as coming to us from a heavenly temple, and from a throne of glory. They describe
I THE CONSCIOUS TIE BETWEEN CHRIST"S DISCIPLES AND HIMSELF. Since they were uttered, the gospel has been carried far and wide over vast continents and to the distant islands of the sea, and it would take long to tell of the outward revolution it has effected, or of the incidental blessings which have followed in its train; how it has added to the sum of human happiness and diminished the sum of human misery; how it has deepened men"s thoughts and widened their horizon. But wherever it has taken root, individual souls have consciously owned its power and yielded themselves up to its guidance. No census can count up their numbers. No test that man can apply will infallibly distinguish them from all others. It is only Christ himself who can say, "I know them." But there is one great outstanding fact concerning them which he here gives prominence to: "They hear his voice, and follow him." Among the many voices, some truer, some falser, which reach their ears in this world, there is one voice that is all-powerful. Among the various influences, better or worse, which press upon them on every side, there is one influence paramount and irresistible. And this is a matter of consciousness on their part. It may be more or less vividly so at different times or in certain circumstances, but it is essentially a fact of experience which they would not part with if they could, and which all the world cannot rob them of. They hear his voice, now quickening their consciences and bidding them awake from sleep; or again saying to them, "Peace be unto you;" "Fear not;" or yet again, "Continue ye in my love." But there is always grace as well as power in his voice, and this makes it welcome to his true disciples. When he warns them, they take good heed. When he encourages them, they are of good cheer. Even when he rebukes them, they know that faithful are the wounds of such a Friend, and can only reply, "Speak, Lord; thy servants hear." And the result is that they follow him; for there is a path which he is ever tracing for them by his precepts and his example, illumined as these are by his Spirit a path which may be trodden in solitude and in society, in health and in sickness, in the busy world and in the family circle, in the secret chamber, by young and old, by learned and unlearned. Of every disciple it may be said that the deepest desire of his heart is to be found in that good way, and, should he wander, to be brought back to it. Sometimes, indeed, it leads him through green pastures and by the still waters, at other times through some dark valley of the shadow of death; but he knows well that to forsake it willfully is to draw back unto perdition, and the very dread of this in his hours of temptation is a salutary thing. Since the day, more than eighteen centuries ago, when the disciples were called Christians in the city of Antioch, that name, first perhaps given contemptuously, has been claimed by multitudes without number. In our own day and our own country it must needs be generally accorded to all who do not care to renounce it. But oh! listen to Christ"s own description of those whom he owns as members of his flock: "They hear his voice, and they follow him." The root and reality of the matter is there. Try yourselves fairly by this test. Many bear the Christian name, they scarcely know why. But none can listen to Christ and obey him, in any true sense of the word, without earnestness and purpose of heart.
II CHRIST"S GREAT GIFT TO HIS FLOCK ETERNAL LIFE. If life be a great word, eternal life is one of the greatest words that can be spoken by human lips. Who can utter it aright without awe, seeing that its full meaning rises so high above us and stretches so far beyond us? You know that in Scripture it sometimes denotes that state of blessedness which is reserved for God"s children in the future; as our Lord says, "In the world to come life everlasting." But sometimes also it points to a blessing realized in some measure here and now. "This is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God," etc. (Joh_17:3) Both applications of the word are needed to fill up its meaning. Eternal life embraces both the present and the future. It has its beginning, and it has its consummation. The same Sun of Righteousness enlightens both worlds." The river that gladdens the city of God here below, reappears in the paradise above. And both aspects of the wondrous blessing are brought together in these words of Christ, for he speaks in the same breath of its present reality and of its glorious perpetuity. I give unto them eternal life not merely, "I shall give it, and they shall never perish," etc.
1. What, then, are the present aspects of this life which Christ bestows upon his true disciples? What does he do for them? What does he give them? As they hear his voice and follow him, imperfectly, no doubt, but unfeignedly, lo! the mists of earthly things dissolve and disappear, the veil is lifted from the holy of holies, and he admits them to communion and fellowship with the eternal God. Ah, this is a blessing which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. There is mercy in it, there is peace in it, there is joy in it, but, above all, there is life in it; for "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Think how this Divine friendship is described in that benediction, which from the beginning has been pronounced over the assemblies of Christ"s disciples at the close of their worship, it is called "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ," because it is bestowed on the unworthy through the humiliation of the God-Man. It is called "the love of God," because it is the unveiling and outpouring of the Father"s heart. And it is called "the communion of the Holy Ghost," because it unites God"s children with himself and with each other by one and the same Spirit. We must admit, indeed, that custom has made us s, familiar with these words, that too often they seem only a becoming formula expected at a certain moment; but the glorious things they speak of can never pall upon the renewed heart. If there is a freshness about each sunrise, as the traveler sees the morning spread upon the mountains, so there is a spiritual freshness about each glimpse of the glory of God. What child ever wearied of his father"s smile? What Christian of the light of his heavenly Father"s countenance? "With thee is the fountain or" life: in thy light shall we see light." Such are the springs of the life of God in the soul of man; but what are its characters, its pulses, so to speak, or its breathing, by which it may be known in our own experience? life of which our souls are scant; Oh, life! not death, for which we pant; More life and fuller that we want!
In the text it is contrasted with perishing, and something may be learned by the contrast; for though none in this place of hope know what it is to perish, yet many may know what it is to be ready to perish. It is to have no object worthy of the soul"s capacities to cling to or lean upon. It is to be involved in uncertainty as to where we are or whither we are going. To have the sphere of expected good growing narrower, the circle of expected evil growing wider. To have a heart becoming more selfish, more dead, or more cold! And if this is to be ready to perish, then to have eternal life is the opposite of all this. It is to have the gracious presence of God in Christ; to have the assured and ever-brightening prospect of better things to come; to breathe that love which is the reflection of the Divine image, because God is love; and which cannot be separated from happiness, for God is ever blessed. Such are the beginnings of eternal life, and he who gives it can sustain it in the hearts of his disciples. For he is mightier than all the enemies they can meet with here below; and as to time itself, which buries so much in the waters of oblivion, and tests, and wastes, and weakens so many earthly ties, even time cannot impair this friendship; "for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
2. But what are the future aspects of eternal life; for, as its name imports, it passes beyond the frontiers of time, and transcends all the experiences of the present? A change indeed awaits even the disciples of Christ, mysterious, unknown, inconceivable, when this world shall vanish from their sight, and the voices of their friends shall cease to sound in their ears, and when the powers of speech and even of will and thought shall fail them. Passive and helpless they shall leave this stage of existence; passive and helpless they shall enter on the next. But see in the words before us how Christ makes himself responsible, not only for the dread transition, but for all the experiences that lie beyond it. "They shall never perish," etc. He does not speak of his great gift as becoming the independent possession of his disciples, which they themselves are to guard in the solemn hereafter. No, even there it will be the result of the happy and enduring relation between the great Shepherd and his flock. And this is the very thought which the Apostle Paul expands and makes his own in the climax of the eighth chapter of Romans: "I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels... shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." However far, then, we look forward to the future, we may say this much that eternal life, in all its stages, will be the continuation and unfolding of what is begun here. The life of grace will pass into the life of glory, but its thread will not be cut, nor its purposes broken off, nor its center changed. Here its frail tent is a body of humiliation; there its dwelling-place shall be a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; but in its root and essence it is ever the same life, upheld by the same Spirit, watched over by the same Redeemer. "All his saints are in his hand," and none shall pluck them thence. What the Ultimate glory of eternal life will be, was morn than the beloved disciple himself could well conceive. He says in his First Epistle, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." And is not this enough? Can your thoughts and desires rise higher? We are taught, indeed, that when the mystery of God has been finished, the children of the resurrection shall open their eyes on a new heaven and a new earth, where nothing that defileth shall ever enter. They shall have congenial society there; the companionship of the loyal and the true. Activity without weariness shall be their everlasting rest. But the crown of their blessedness shall be this, that they shall bear the image of their heavenly Lord. Once in the days of his flesh he prayed as never man prayed: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory." The answer to that prayer shall be eternal life. G.B.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv28–29 28. I give unto them eternal life. To his…
28. I give unto them eternal life. To his sheep. Eternal life means, not eternal existence, but eternal bliss. God hath made the soul deathless, but it may exist in banishment from heaven.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v28 Or, in no wise ever perish. Cf. Joh 6:37.
never
Or, in no wise ever perish. Cf. Joh 6:37.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27, 29 My sheep hear my voice
My sheep hear my voice
The word "sheep" is a metaphor for the followers of Jesus. The metaphor of Jesus as the "shepherd" is also implied. AT: "Just as sheep obey the voice of their true shepherd, my followers heed my voice" (See: Metaphor)
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no one will snatch them out of my hand
Here the word "hand" is a metonym that represents the protective care of Jesus. AT: "no one will steal them away from me" or "they will remain secure forever in my care" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
voice
eternity
life
die
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v27 10:27-29 As the good shepherd, Jesus would die for…
10:27-29 As the good shepherd, Jesus would die for his sheep and secure them from all predators and thieves (10:1, 8, 11; cp. Ezek 34:22-23). • The power of the Father, appearing in Christ, keeps his sheep safe. Believers cannot be taken from Jesus because no one is more powerful than he is. Their security is not sustained by their own efforts, but by Christ. • The word translated snatch implies violence (as in John 6:15).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.