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.”
Show the surrounding paragraph
John 10:28-30 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
-
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.”
-
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.
And I and my father are one.
Show all 3 translations
-
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.
I and my Father are one.
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 (81)
- 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 1:1-2 (v30) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
- 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…
- John 14:9 (v30) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do…
Show all 79 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…
- 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.
- 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.
- John 17:21-23 (v30) that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that…
- 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…
- 1 John 2:25 (v28) This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.
- John 5:23 (v30) that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.
- 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.
- 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 8:58 (v30) Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”
- 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…
- Matthew 11:27 (v30) All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the…
- Matthew 28:19 (v30) Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- John 5:17 (v30) But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.”
- John 14:23 (v30) Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.
- 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 John 5:20 (v30) We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in…
- John 17:10 (v30) All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
- Titus 2:13 (v30) looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
- 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.
- Jude 1:21 (v28) Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
- 1 Timothy 3:16 (v30) Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached…
- John 16:15 (v30) All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine and will declare it to you.
- 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…
- 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…
- Isaiah 45:17 (v28) Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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…
- 1 John 5:7 (v30) For there are three who testify:
- 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…
79 distinct cross-references across this passage (81 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.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv28, 30 28. And they shall never perish. It is an…
28. And they shall never perish. It is an inestimable fruit of faith, that Christ bids us be convinced of our security when we are brought by faith into his fold. But we must also observe on what foundation this certainty rests. It is because he will be a faithful guardian of our salvation, for he testifies that our salvation is in his hand And if this were not enough, he says that they will be safely guarded by the power of his Father This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the salvation of all the elect is not less certain than the power of God is invincible. Besides, Christ did not intend to throw this word foolishly into the air, but to give a promise which should remain deeply axed in their minds; and, therefore, we infer that the statement of Christ is intended to show that the elect are absolutely certain of their salvation. We are surrounded, indeed, by powerful adversaries, and so great is our weakness, that we are every moment in imminent danger of death; but as He who keeps what we have committed to him (2 Timothy 1:12) is greater or more powerful than all, we have no reason to tremble as if our life were in danger.
Hence, too, we infer how mad is the confidence of the Papists, which relies on free-will, on their own virtue, and on the merits of their works. Widely different is the manner in which Christ instructs his followers, to remember that, in this world, they may be said to be in the midst of a forest, surrounded by innumerable robbers, and are not only unarmed and exposed as a prey, but are aware that the cause of death is contained in themselves, so that, relying on the guardianship of God alone, they may walk without alarm. In short, our salvation is certain, because it is in the hand of God; for our faith is weak, and we are too prone to waver. But God, who has taken us under his protection, is sufficiently powerful to scatter, with his breath alone, all the forces of our adversaries. It is of great importance for us to turn our eye to this, that the fear of temptations may not dismay us; for Christ even intended to point out the way in which sheep are made to live at ease in the midst of wolves.
Read full note →
And none can wrest them out of my Father’s hand. The word and, in this passage, means therefore For, since the power of God is invincible, Christ infers that the salvation of believers is not exposed to the ungovernable passions of their enemies, because, ere they perish, God must be overcome, who has taken them under the protection of his hand.
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 vv28–30 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and…
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Ver. 28. They shall never perish] This is the good Shepherd’s promise: is he now as good as his word, if he suffer his sheep to wander and perish, whom by promise he was tied so to keep, as that they should not wander, as they are naturally apt to do, to their destruction? Pastor oves spondet se absolute servaturum, nunquid liberabit fidem? Prideaux.
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 vv28–30 I do give them, and I will give them,…
I do give them, and I will give them, eternal life; as soon as they shall come to hear, and believe my voice, and to follow me, they shall have a sure right and title to it; and when my Father by his providence shall remove them out of the world, and in the great day, they shall be taken up into the actual possession of it. For they shall never perish, but though they may fall, they shall rise again by repentance. They are in my hand, and my hand shall preserve them, none shall ever pluck them out of it; they shall be preserved through faith, by the power of God, to eternal life and salvation.
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 vv28, 30 Observe here, 1. The promise made by Christ unto…
Observe here, 1. The promise made by Christ unto his sheep, namely, the promise of eternal life, and perseverance in grace, till they come to the full fruition of it in glory, I give unto them eternal life, and none shall pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Observe, 2. The confirmation he gives of this from his own and his Father’s power, which is employed, engaged, and concerned, for them, and for their perseverance and preservation, notwithstanding all oppostiion to the contrary. My Father which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Read full note →
Learn, 1. That eternal life is the portion of Christ’s sheep.
2. That eternal life is the gift of Christ.
3. That eternal life is, now given to Christ’s sheep: they have it now in the purchase, in the promise, and in the first fruits.
4. That all Christ’s sheep are put by God the Father into Christ’s hand for security: My Father hath given them me.
5. The Father doth so intrust Christ with his sheep, as yet to take care of them himself; they are in the Father’s hand, as well as in the son’s, and their being in the hands of both, doth assure them of the certainty of their perseverance. None shal pluck them out of my hand; none shall be able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand: implying, that there are many that would pluck them out of their hands, sin, Satan, the world, &c. but they shall be kept by the almighty power of God, through faith unto salvation; for who can be too strong for omnipotent power.
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 vv28–30 And I give unto them eternal life,.... Christ gives…
And I give unto them eternal life,.... Christ gives eternal life to his sheep, or people now; he gives them a spiritual life, or a life of grace, which issues in eternal life; he gives them himself, who is the true God and eternal life, and whoever has him has life; he gives them the knowledge of himself, which is life eternal; and he gives them his righteousness, which is their justification of life, or what entitles them to eternal life; and he gives them the foretastes of it, in faith and hope, in the enjoyment of himself, and the discoveries of his love; he gives them the earnest and pledge of it, his own Spirit; and they have this life in him as their representative, and it is hid with him in God, and is safe and secure for them; and he will actually give it to them in their own persons, to be for ever enjoyed by them; and because of the certainty of it, he is said to do it now: this is a pure gift, it is of grace, and not of works; and it is in the gift of Christ as Mediator, who has power to give it to as many as the Father has given him:
and they shall never perish; though they were lost in Adam, and in a perishing condition in themselves, during their state of unregeneracy; in which condition they see themselves to be, when convinced by the Spirit of God; and come as persons ready to perish to Christ, as a Saviour, resolving, that if they perish, they will perish at his feet: and though after conversion, they are subject to many falls and spiritual declensions, and lose their peace, joy, and comfort, and imagine their strength and hope are perished, or at least fear they shall one day perish through one sin, or snare, or temptation or another, yet they shall never perish in such sense as the wicked will; they will not be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power:
Read full note →
neither shall any pluck them out of my hand; Christ's sheep are in his hands, being put there by God the Father, both as an instance of his love to Christ, and them; and this was done from all eternity, even when they were chosen in him; so that they were in the hands of Christ, before they were in the loins of Adam; and were preserved in him, notwithstanding Adam's fall, and through the ruins of it. To be in the hands of Christ, is to be high in his esteem and favour; the saints are a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of their God; they are a signet on his right hand that shall never be plucked off; they are engraven on the palms of his hands: to be in the hands of Christ, is to be in his possession, and at his dispose, as all the elect of God are; and to be under his guidance, care, and protection, as they be; they are fed according to the integrity of his heart, and guided by the skilfulness of his hands; they are always under his care and watchful eye, who protects them from all their enemies, and hides them in the hollow of his hand: hence, because they are so, they are called "the sheep of his hand", Psa 95:7. And none shall ever pluck them from thence; no man can do it, not any false teacher can remove them from Christ, by all the art and cunning he is master of; nor any violent persecutor, by all the force and power he can use; nor can any sin, or snare, or temptation, draw them out of Christ's hands; nor any adversity whatever separate them from him: they must be safe, and always abide there, who are in the hands of Christ; for his hands have laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth, they grasp the whole universe, and hold all things together; and who then can pluck any out of these hands? Moreover, Christ, as Mediator, has all power in heaven and earth; and even as man, he is the man of God's right hand, made strong for himself.
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 v30 I and the Father are one - Not by…
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. Therefore if he was not God he must have been the vilest of men.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv28–30 Verse 28. They shall never perish] Why? Because they…
Verse 28. They shall never perish] Why? Because they hear my voice, and follow me; therefore I know, I approve of and love them, and give them eternal life. They who continue to hear Christ's voice, and to follow him, shall never perish. They give themselves up to God-believe so on Jesus that he lives in their hearts: God hath given unto them eternal life, and this life is in his Son; and he that hath the Son hath life, 1Jo 5:11-12. Now it is evident that only those who have Christ living in and governing their souls, so that they possess the mind that was in him, are his sheep-are those that shall never perish, because they have this eternal life abiding in them: therefore to talk of a man's being one of the elect-one that shall never perish - one who shall have eternal life-who shall never be plucked out of the hand of God, &c., while he lives in sin, has no Christ in his heart, has either never received or fallen away from the grace of God, is as contrary to common sense as it is to the nature and testimonies of the Most High. Final perseverance implies final faithfulness-he that endures to the end shall be saved-he that is faithful unto death shall have a crown of life. And will any man attempt to say that he who does not endure to the end, and is unfaithful, shall ever enter into life?
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv28–30 I give unto them eternal life - See Joh…
I give unto them eternal life - See Joh 5:24.
Shall never perish - To perish here means to be destroyed, or to be punished in hell. Mat 10:28; “which is able to destroy (the same word) both soul and body in hell.” Mat 18:14; “it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Joh 3:15; “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish” Rom 2:12; They who have sinned without law shall also perish without law” Joh 17:12; 1Co 1:18. In all these places the word refers to future punishment, and the declaration of the Saviour is that his followers, his true disciples, shall never be cast away. The original is expressed with remarkable strength: “They shall not be destroyed forever.” Syriac: “They shall not perish to eternity.” This is spoken of all Christians - that is, of all who ever possess the character of true followers of Christ, and who can be called his flock.
Read full note →
Shall any - The word “any” refers to any power that might attempt it. It will apply either to men or to devils. It is an affirmation that no man, however eloquent in error, or persuasive in infidelity, or cunning: in argument, or mighty in rank; and that no devil with all his malice, power, cunning, or allurements, shall be able to pluck them from his hand,
Pluck them - In the original to rob; to seize and bear away as a robber does his prey. Jesus holds them so secure and so certainly that no foe can surprise him as a robber does, or overcome him by force.
My hand - The hand is that by which we hold or secure an object. It means that Jesus has them safely in his own care and keeping. Compare Rom 8:38-39.
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 vv28–30 They shall not perish for ever: and no man…
They shall not perish for ever: and no man shall snatch them out of my hand. He speaks of his elect, of those whom he called by a special Providence and mercy, whom he blessed with more than ordinary graces, and with the gift of final perseverance to the end in his grace. (Witham)
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 vv28–30 I give unto them eternal life--not "will give them";…
I give unto them eternal life--not "will give them"; for it is a present gift. (See on Joh 3:36; Joh 5:24). It is a very grand utterance, couched in the language of majestic authority.
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 vv28–30 28. Shall never perish—No sheep of Christ can ever…
28. Shall never perish—No sheep of Christ can ever perish. The unbeliever and the apostate will perish, but neither the unbeliever or the apostate is a sheep of Christ.
Perish… pluck—The literal sheep of the human shepherd may perish by the robber, or be plucked away by the thief; but the spiritual sheep of the true Shepherd no robber can kill, no thief can steal. He must by his own free act abandon or forfeit his spiritual character before he can lose his eternal privilege.
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 vv28–30 28. I give unto them] Not ‘will give.’ Here…
28. I give unto them] Not ‘will give.’ Here as in Joh_3:15, Joh_5:24 and often, the gift of eternal life is regarded as already possessed by the faithful. It is not a promise, the fulfilment of which depends upon man’s conduct, but a gift, the retention of which depends upon ourselves.
they shall never perish] This is parallel to Joh_8:51 (see note there); shall certainly not perish for ever, being the literal meaning, But the negative belongs to the verb, not to ‘for ever;’ and the meaning is, not ‘they may die, but shall not die for ever,’ but ‘they shall never die for all eternity.’ Comp. Joh_11:26.
Read full note →
neither shall any man pluck them] Better, and no one shall snatch them. ‘No one’ rather than ‘no man’ (as in Joh_10:18), for the powers of darkness are excluded as well as human seducers. ‘Snatch’ rather than ‘pluck,’ for in the Greek it is the same word as is used of the wolf in Joh_10:12, and this should be preserved in translation.
This passage in no way asserts the indefectibility of the elect, and gives no countenance to ultra-predestinarian views. Christ’s sheep cannot be taken from Him against their will; but their will is free, and they may choose to leave the flock.
out of my hand] “His hand protects, bears, cherishes, leads them.” Meyer.
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 vv29–30 (29) My Father, which gave them me (better, hath…
(29) My Father, which gave them me (better, hath given them Me), is greater than all.—For the thought that they are given by the Father, comp. Note on Joh_6:37. Here our version has rightly made no limiting addition to “all” (comp. last verse). In the width of the word, which extends to every creature and to every power, and even to the Son in His subordination to the Father, the Father is thought of as greater than all. Again the thought mounts with each succeeding sentence: (1) “None shall pluck them out of My hand;” (2) “They are My Father’s gifts, and He is greater than all;” (3) “None shall pluck them out of My Father’s hand.”
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 vv29–30 The last statement is sustained by a still loftier…
The last statement is sustained by a still loftier assumption. Before translating, it is necessary to notice the three readings of the text.
(1) That of the T.R. and the Revisers" Text:my Father who gave (them) to me is greater than all the powers that can possibly be arrayed against them.
Read full note →
(2) The reading of a, D, With reference to that which my Father, One greater than all, gave me, and no one is able to pluck from the hand of the Father. Meyer, however, translates this differently; he supposes the meizon to refer to the Father "a something greater, a greater potence." Westcott and Hort prefer the reading with o and meizon ; and Westcott translates, That which my Father has given me is greater than all, and regards it as a reference to the sheep as a collective unity. The internal reasons compel Luthardt, Godet, and Lange to fall back on T.R., and surely the extraordinary strain of the meaning justifies them. Our Lord would sustain with even stronger assurance the safety of his sheep. The Father"s gift to himself, the Father"s own eternal love and power, the Divine omnipotence of the Lord God himself, is pledged to their security. "My hand" becomes "my Father"s hand." He seems to say, "If you question my capacity, you need not question his power. Sacrilegious violence may apparently nail my hands to the cross; the sword may awake against Jehovah"s Shepherd. But none can outwit, surprise, crucify, conquer, my Father, none can invalidate his care.
The Father"s perfect protection.
This verse explains, sustains, and completes the previous one. The previous verse indicates the double duty of the shepherd. He has to feed the flock, and he has to protect it. Jesus has to give eternal life, and secure it when given. But inevitably the thought arises in one"s mind that oftentimes the shepherd is slain and the sheep are scattered. This was to be illustrated to a certain extent very soon after Jesus had spoken. It was not that the sheep were plucked away and the Shepherd remained; the Shepherd was plucked away, and the sheep seemed as if they were to fall back into the world. But, in truth, the plucking of the Shepherd away was only the lifting of a veil which hid the real wall of defense. If we look only to Jesus, and fail to see some one beyond, we shall never estimate either the greatness of the danger or the perfection of the safety.
I LOOK AT THE GREATNESS OF THE DANGER. The perils of a stupid, helpless, defense-less sheep are really but a feeble illustration of the perils besetting the Christian. We never do properly comprehend those perils. Even as it is the shepherd and not the sheep that really knows the perils of the sheep, so it is Jesus and the Father of Jesus who really know the perils of the Christian. Well is it that we know not all our perils. A perfect knowledge of them might only increase our misery without diminishing our peril in the least. We are to learn the greatness of our peril in an indirect way. We have to learn it by the provisions that have been evidently made. Jesus provides against perils that we appreciate very imperfectly; and perils we make a great deal of, he treats as passing inconveniences. The full power of Heaven is engaged for our safety; that alone should show us the greatness of our danger.
II LOOK AT THE PLEDGE OF SAFETY. It is not a pledge of devotion and attention merely; it is a pledge of absolute safety. It lifts shepherd and sheep alike into a region where no wolf ever wanders, where no thief breaks through nor steals. It is the defense that comes from being in a totally different sphere of life. Those on board a ship in mid-ocean are perfectly safe from the fierce and mighty sharks that swim all around; safe so long as the ship is safe; safe so long as they keep on board; but let any of them come into the water, and the sharks snap them up at once. But if these same people are on land, they can go wherever they like and have no fear of the shark; they are utterly removed from his element. Each element has its own peril and its own safety. But those who have put themselves into the hand of the great Shepherd, the only Shepherd truly good, as uniting faithfulness with ability, are in an element where all the essentials of life are safe. The intent of our heavenly Father is, not that we should be delivered from dangers when they actually come upon us, but that we should rise into a sphere where dangers will not really come. Observe exactly how Jesus puts it both with reference to his protection and his Father"s protection. He does not say that he or the Father will pluck his sheep from the clutches of any foe that may seize them. He goes further than that: the foe is not to pluck the sheep out of the Father"s hand. Y.
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 vv28–30 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.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain On v30 Joh 10:30-39. “I and My Father are one.” There…
THE ASSAULT
Joh 10:30-39. “I and My Father are one.” There is but one God, but three persons — i.e., three characters — manifested by the Deity to the world. I am a preacher, a teacher, and a book editor, three characters, and yet but one. “Again the Jews took up stones that they may stone Him.” As they felt that they were prepared to sustain their condemnation of blasphemy against Him because He claimed to be the Son of God, they thought if they could raise a row and excite the rabble, they might get rid of Him by stoning Him to dearth, and cover up the whole transaction under the charge of blasphemy. Though they take up stones, and show every manifestation of instantaneous death, Jesus remains perfectly tranquil. “And Jesus responded to them, Many good works have I shown to you from the Father, on account of which work of these do you stone Me? The Jews responded to Him, We do not stone Thee for a good work, but for blasphemy, and because Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.” According to the Mosaic law, the penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning. The same also was the penalty for Sabbath-breaking. Consequently His enemies, who hounded Him day and night, thirsting for His blood, were constantly on the alert, ready to catch up anything whatever, and use it as a charge against Him. It so happened, in the normal administration of His official Messiahship, He was really under the necessity of rendering Himself vulnerable to the charge of blasphemy, in order to enunciate and vindicate His claims to the Messiahship, as it would have been really impossible for any one to preach and testify in harmony with the Messianic office without exposing Himself to the liability of the charge of blasphemy; whereas His constant works of philanthropy, healing the multitudes of sick people everywhere He went, would have necessitated Him to intermit His work on the Sabbath or become vulnerable to the charge of Sabbatic violation. Consequently His enemies, having these two strings to their bow, pulled on them incessantly, making music for the bottomless pit.
Read full note →
“Jesus responded to them, Is it not written in your law that I said, Ye are gods?” (Psalms 80.) Here the word is applied to tyrannical world-rulers. “If He called them gods to whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture is not able to be broken, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, do you say that Thou blasphemest because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, believe not Me, believe the works, in order that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. Then they were seeking to arrest Him, and he went out from their hand.” Our Lord’s ministry is now rapidly winding to a close. Consequently it is important to emphasize the great, salient point of His earthly mission, and everywhere prominently hold up His Christhood, so that all the people would clearly apprehend and indubitably witness His claims to the Messiahship, thus exposing Himself to the constant liability of arrest and arraignment, as they had a rabbinical law specifying that any man claiming to be the Christ should be brought before the Sanhedrin for investigation and examination. Now that He boldly meets the issue, despite their charge of blasphemy, they proceed to arrest Him. Of course, the Sanhedrin would have condemned Him to death by stoning (Lev 24:16), thus cutting off His earthly ministry about one month before the time. Consequently He passed away from their hands, of course unobserved, all losing sight of Him, and thinking He was somewhere in the crowd; but no one being able to find Him, meanwhile He passes clearly away.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
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 v29 My Father, who has given them to me
My Father, who has given them to me
The word "Father" is an important title for God. (See: Translating Son and Father)
Read full note →
the hand of the Father
The word "hand" is a metonym that refers to God's possession and protective care. AT: "No one can steal them from my Father" (See: Metonymy)
I and the Father are one
Jesus, God the Son, and God the Father are one. The word "Father" is an important title for God. (See: Translating Son and Father)
Then the Jews took up stones
The word "Jews" is a synecdoche for the Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus. AT: "Then the Jewish leaders started picking up stones again" (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
God the Father
Jew
stone
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 v30 10:30 The Father and the Son are two separate…
10:30 The Father and the Son are two separate persons with one purpose and nature (1:1, 14; 14:9; 20:28). This is the basis of Jesus’ power to protect God’s flock (10:28-29) and a stunning expression of Jesus’ divinity.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.