John 10:1-42

John 10:1-6:

^10:1"With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you, the (person) not coming by means of the door into the uncovered-area of the sheep but ascending from-another-way, that-person is a thief and a robber; ^.2but the (person) coming-into (the uncovered-area) by means of the door is shepherd of the sheep. ^.3The doorkeeper opens to him and the sheep hear his sound and he sounds (for his) own sheep according to name and he leads them out. ^.4Whenever he may throw-out all (his) own (sheep), he journeys in-front-of them; and the sheep follow him because they knew² his sound, ^.5but they will never follow another but they will flee from him because they did not know² the sound of others."

^.6Jesus said this proverb to them but those-people did not know what-things they were which he uttered-forth to them.

Jesus continues speaking from the record of the healing of the blind man in John chapter 9:

• "With-certainty (surely, truly, amen!),
• with-certainty I say to you (by repeating this word "with-certainty" Jesus gives added emphasis to what he is saying - emphatically surely, truly, amen I am laying these words before you),
  • the person who is not presently coming (going)
    • by means of the door (through the correct way of access, opportunity, admission)
    • into the uncovered-area of the sheep (the enclosure without a roof where the sheep would be put during the nighttime, a sheepfold where they remain until the door is opened)
  • but on the contrary, who is ascending (mounting, going upwards over the fence of the enclosure to get into the sheepfold)
    • from another way (from some other place or direction),
  • specifically that person (man, human-being)
    • is a thief (one who steals by fraud or in secret, a kleptomaniac - the thief comes to his target)
    • and a robber (one who plunders by violence and open force);
• but the person (man, human-being) who is presently coming into the uncovered-area by means of the door (the correct way of access)
  • is shepherd of the sheep (the one who takes care of and protects the sheep, he exercises the whole office of a shepherd which involves not only feeding the flock of sheep, but also leading and guiding and guarding, etc).
• The doorkeeper (the one who is assigned to take care of and guard the door determining who comes and goes through the doorway)
  • opens to him (granting the shepherd entrance/access or exit)
• and the sheep hear his sound (they listen to the sound of their shepherd's voice)
• and he sounds for (he uses his voice summoning)
  • the sheep that belong to him (for which he is responsible)
  • according to name (one by one, one name and then another name, personally because each sheep is important within the whole flock)
• and he leads them out (in the morning with the coming of daytime he directs, conducts, conveys his sheep out from the uncovered-area).
• At whatever time that he would throw (cast) out all his own sheep (his entire flock from the enclosure, not other sheep for which he is not responsible),
  • he journeys in-front-of them (he goes before them, ahead of them as they pass or travel from one place to another);
  • and the sheep follow him (they come after their shepherd, behind him)
    • because they knew and continue to know his sound (they perceive his voice to the end of knowing it in/with their minds),
  • but they will never follow another (the word translated “never” comes from two Greek words both meaning “no” or “not” – the double negative emphasizes the point – the sheep will not ever come after a shepherd belonging to other sheep, they will not at any time go behind another)
  • but on the contrary, they will flee (take flight, put themselves in flight) away from him
    • because the sheep did not know and continue not to know (perceive)
    • the sound of others (the voice of shepherds belonging to other sheep)."

Jesus said this proverb to the people. A proverb is something spoken by the way, aside from ordinary speech - it is a figure of speech.

However, those people did not personally know (this word "know" is the Greek verb ginosko meaning that they did not have a truly active and relative knowing, they were not personally knowledgeable of) the things that Jesus was taking time to speak to them during that past time.  They did not know what he meant.

[Reference: Hebrews 13:20; I Peter 2:25; II Peter 2:22. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

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John Chapter 11