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.]

Verses 7-18:

^.7Therefore again Jesus said, "With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you that I am the door of the sheep. ^.8All as-many-as came are thieves and robbers but the sheep did not hear them. ^.9I am the door; if-ever someone may come-into (the uncovered-area) by means of me, he will be saved, and he will come-into and go-out-from (it) and he will find feeding-pasture. ^.10The thief does not come except in order that he may steal and sacrifice and destroy; I came in order that they may have life and they may have an exceeding-thing. ^.11I am the shepherd, the beautiful (shepherd). The shepherd, the beautiful (shepherd) puts his soul on behalf of the sheep.

^.12The hired-servant, also not being a shepherd of whom the sheep are not (his) own, views-with-attention the wolf coming and he leaves the sheep and flees - and the wolf catches them away and scatters - ^.13because he is a hired-servant and it is not a concern to him concerning the sheep.

^.14I am the shepherd, the beautiful (shepherd), and I know the (sheep that are) mine and mine know me; ^.15according as the Father knows me, I also know the Father; and I put my soul on behalf of the sheep. ^.16Also I have other sheep which are not out-from this uncovered-area, and it is necessary (for) me to lead those (sheep) and they will hear my sound, and they will become one flock - one shepherd. ^.17Because-of-this the Father loves¹ me: because I put my soul in order that again I may receive it; ^.18not-one-person lifts it away-from me but I put it away-from myself; I have authority to put it and I have authority again to receive it; this commandment I received from my Father."

Following-on logically from verses 1-5 above and the fact that the people did not understand the meaning of that proverb, again (a second, another, further time, once again) Jesus said...

• "With-certainty, with-certainty I say to you (as verse 1 above)
  • that emphatically I am (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I am” giving emphasis – I myself am)
  • the door of the sheep (metaphorically referring to access, opportunity, admission pertaining to/for the sheep, and either granting access or allowing exit to/for the sheep themselves who are God's people - Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed-one, the Messiah whom God first promised in Genesis 3:15 for mankind to look forward to coming so as to regain access to the only true God).
• All of the people who came (as much as came so as to gain access to the sheep inside the uncovered-area, everyone who came but not via the door of the promised Christ [some Greek texts include the words "before me" - those who came prior to, in front of, in advance of me time-wise])
  • are thieves and robbers (as verse 1 above - they are not the Christ)
  • but contrary to their attempts to gain access to the sheep, the sheep did not hear them (God's people did not listen to the thieves and robbers from whom the sound or voice came - salvation was not available via the thieves and robbers).
• Emphatically I am the door (as verse 7 above);
  • if it should happen at any time that someone would come into the uncovered-area (the enclosure containing God's people)
  • by means of me (through me - the Christ),
    • he will be saved (made-safe to God from sins and their consequences, from destruction),
    • and he will come-into and go-out-from it (free access and exit to come and go during the everyday living of life)
    • and he will find feeding-pasture (locate an area to feed on, a place for eating to maintain his life).
• The thief does not come (he is not coming in an attempt to gain access to the sheep)
  • except (if not, unless) for the purpose and result (his intent is) that
  • he would steal (perform the activity of a thief, which is to take by fraud or in secret what is not rightfully belonging to him, to be a kleptomaniac - steal the sheep - but he keeps them alive hoping that they would not be found by their rightful owner at a future time with the possibility of being saved to their rightful owner)
  • and sacrifice (kill and offer in sacrifice, or slaughter for food - sacrifice the sheep - but since he kills them and they are now dead he is hoping that they would not be saved to their rightful owner at the future time of resurrection)
  • and destroy (utterly-ruin, completely-lose the sheep away from their rightful owner - destroy the sheep, and so they can never be saved to their rightful owner even at resurrection time);
• emphatically I came (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I came” giving emphasis – I myself came)
  • for the purpose and result that
  • they would have life (the sheep would continue holding life, would be alive - remain living being saved to their rightful owner - in this context referring to mankind being saved to God)
  • and they would have an exceeding-thing (hold that-which would be abundant over and above the life that they have already attained; the word "exceeding-thing" is neuter and does not agree with the word "life" which is a feminine noun in Greek - in this context "exceeding-thing" refers to receiving "spirit" - the sheep would have holy spirit, which is the kind of life in excess of their current life, soul/breath life).
• Emphatically I am the shepherd (again there is emphasis as verses 7 and 9 above – I myself am the one who takes care of and protects his sheep/people, I exercise the whole office of a shepherd which involves not only feeding with the Word of God, but also leading and guiding and guarding, etc, as a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep in verse 2 above),
  • emphatically and specifically the beautiful shepherd (one who has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness).
• The shepherd, the beautiful shepherd
  • puts his soul (places, sets the life of his physical body which is evidenced by breathing, his soul/breath life, and figuratively referring to his being, including his character and disposition as he is living his life, during his lifetime while he is alive, he does everything he can in the physical realm, gives it all he has available to him during the everyday living of his life until his death)
    • on behalf of the sheep (in the interests of the sheep, his people – from the time of the shepherd's first breath until his last breath).

The hired-servant (one who gets paid compensation for his work that lasts until a particular assignment is finished, which is on a temporary basis only)...

• in addition the hired-servant is not continuing to be a shepherd,
• and relative-to whom the sheep do not belong to him,

...attentively views (contemplates in/with his mind) the wolf while it is coming.

But the hired-servant leaves the sheep (in the sense that he lets the sheep go from his concern, he dismisses them, sends them away from himself) and he flees (puts himself in flight, takes flight instead of protecting the sheep)...

• and the wolf catches them away (it snatches, seizes and carries the sheep off by force suddenly)
• and scatters (causes the sheep to disperse)

...because he is a hired-servant and it is not a concern (a care, interest, an object of thought) to/for him about the sheep.

• Emphatically I am the shepherd, the beautiful shepherd (as verse 11 above),
• and I personally know the sheep (I have a truly active and relative knowing of them, I am personally knowledgeable of the sheep - God's people)
  • that are emphatically mine (those regarding whom I am responsible and assigned to shepherd)
  • and the sheep that are emphatically mine personally know me;
• according as the Father knows me (just as, according to how, in comparison to the way that the Father Who is God personally knows me),
  • emphatically I also personally know the Father;
    • and I put my soul on behalf of the sheep (I place, set the life of my physical body, my whole being, while I am living my life until my death, in the interests of the sheep - God's people; as verse 11 above).
• In addition I have other sheep (another group of the same kind/sort)
  • which are not out-from this uncovered-area (those sheep do not originate from this particular enclosure without a roof; as verse 1 above),
• and it is necessary for me (it is binding for me, I must/ought)
  • to lead those sheep (to direct, conduct, convey them, who are also God's people)
  • and they will hear my sound (at a future time they will listen to my voice),
  • and they will become (come to pass to be)
    • one flock (one group of sheep together with the sheep in this uncovered-area - one united flock - figuratively referring to all of God's people from among the Judean/Israeli background and from among the Gentile/other-nation background) -
    • one shepherd (one for all of God's people).
• On account of this the Father loves¹ me (emphasizing the truth that God is Jesus' Father - He loves me with Godly-love, God's kind of love):
  • because emphatically I put my soul (I myself place, set the life of my physical body, my whole being, while I am living my life until my death, in the interests of the sheep - God's people; as verses 11 and 15 above)
    • for the purpose and result that
    • again I would receive it (actively take what would be given to me by God to use a second, another, further time, once again - I would receive life, be raised up alive by God my Father from being dead; this is referring to the promised resurrection of the Christ);
  • not-one-person lifts it away from me (none, nobody takes my soul/breath life up from me causing my death)
  • but on the contrary, emphatically I put it away from myself (I myself place/set my life away from myself; it is my free-will decision, I have freedom of will - nobody is forcing me to carry-out my assignment of performing the works necessary to be the Christ - I do this voluntarily, it is my active volition and desire);
    • I have authority to put it (I presently hold authoritative-power, permitted-right to place/set my life away from myself)
    • and I have authority again to receive it (as verse 17 above);
  • this commandment I received from my Father (I took what was given to me to use, which is what the Father enjoined or commanded to/for me to perform; God is the source from Whom the commandment proceeded; He gave it to/for me; this is what God commands me for my assignment to be the Christ)."

Jesus was fully aware of his assignment from God his Father regarding what he would need to do in order to accomplish the tasks that the Christ would accomplish to make redemption and salvation available to/for mankind. Jesus was also in agreement with what his Father commanded him to perform even to the point of death - so that God would raise him up from being dead to become the resurrected Christ.

In verse 17 above, the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will. God loves Jesus by fulfilling His Word relevant to Jesus.

[Reference: Genesis 3:15, 17:5, 22:18; Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, and chapter 53; Ezekiel chapter 34; Matthew 7:15, 10:6, 25:32-34, 26:31, 28:2-7; John 2:19-22, 5:2-29, 6:40, 8:12, 42 and 56, 11:51 and 52, 14:6 and 31, 17:25; Acts 2:32, 20:29; Romans 5:8; Galatians 3:16 and 27-29; Ephesians 2:14-16; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 2:9, 5:7-9, 11:17-19, 12:2, 13:20; I Peter 2:25, 5:4; I John 3:16. Also refer to the articles Adam and Eve, and Love in First Corinthians Chapter 13.]

Verses 19-21:

^.19There became a division again among the Judeans because-of these words; ^.20but many-people from them said, "He has a devil and is mad - why do you hear him?" ^.21Other-people said, "These spoken-matters are not of a (person) being devilized; a devil is not able to open eyes of blind-people, is it?" - (no.)

Again there came to pass to be a division (a schism or partition, a splitting as tearing a garment apart) among/between the Judeans on account of these words (the spoken-account containing individual words constituting what Jesus spoke, as recorded in verses 7-18 above).

A lot of people from among these Judeans were saying during that past time, "He has a devil (he holds a devil-spirit inside of his body) and he is mad (raging, caused to be furious in his mind, driven insane) - why do you hear him (for what reason do you listen to the sound of his voice; refer to verses 3 and 4 above)?"

During that past time other people were saying...

• "These spoken-matters (the portions of the whole of what Jesus said, each containing a specific discourse necessary for a particular situation or circumstance)
  • are not of/from someone being devilized (a human-being who is demonized, being operated, controlled, dominated by devil-spirits);
• a devil is not able (a demon does not have the ability, capability)
  • to open eyes of blind-people (to cause them to see with their eyes; refer to John chapter 9),
  • is it?"
    • No! The Greek construction of this question indicates that the expected answer is "No."

The word translated "devil" in verses 20 and 21 is the Greek word daimonion, which was used in Greek mythology (falsehoods) to describe supernatural intermediary beings between false-gods and men. In reality, these are the lower-ranking demons, evil spirits like 'privates' which take their direction from the higher-ranking evil spirits (daimon) in the devil's "army" which take their orders and direction from the chief or top-ranking devil-spirit himself who is the devil/satan. Also, the root of the verb translated "devilized" is the Greek word daimon, which can direct the lower-ranking devil-spirits (daimonion).

[Reference: John 7:20 and 43, 8:48-52, 9:16.]

Verses 22-30:

^.22Then became the Newing-in (celebrations) in Jerusalem; it was winter, ^.23and Jesus walked in the temple in the pillared-porch of Solomon. ^.24Therefore the Judeans encircled him and said to him, "Until when do you lift our soul? - if you are the Christ you must say to us with boldness!" ^.25Jesus answered them, "I said to you and you do not believe. The works which I do in the name of my Father, these witness concerning me; ^.26but you do not believe because you are not out-from the sheep, my (sheep). ^.27The sheep, my (sheep) hear my sound, and I know them, and they follow me, ^.28and I give eternal life to them, and they may never destroy-themselves into the age, and someone will not catch them out-from my hand. ^.29My Father gave² to me that-which is greater of all (names), and not-one (person or spirit) is able to catch (the sheep) out-from the hand of the Father; ^.30I and the Father are one (name)."

The next event, recorded here in this writing of John, refers to the time of the Newing-in celebrations which occurred during winter, about 9 weeks after the events recorded in John 10:21 above. This Judean feast was called Newing-in (renewing, dedication, and the Hebrew word is Hanukkah). It was the fourth feast in Jerusalem that Jesus attended and it occurred in the year 27 A.D. It was celebrated as a memorial to the time when Ezra's temple was cleansed in the year 164 or 165 B.C., during the month of December (Kislev 25 - Tebeth 2 in the Judean calendar) in the Maccabean period. This was not one of the three feasts during which all the Judean/Israeli adult-males were obligated to be present in Jerusalem according to the law of Moses. Refer to Ezra 6:16 and 17; Nehemiah 12:27.

The Newing-in celebrations came to pass (happened, occurred) in Jerusalem and it was winter (the time for stormy weather). Jesus was walking in the covered and pillared porch of Solomon located on the east side of the outer temple area during that past time.

Following-on logically, when the Judeans in Jerusalem saw Jesus again they encircled (came around, surrounded) him and they were saying to him...

• "Until when (continuing to what time)
  • are you lifting our soul (taking our soul/breath life up, keeping us in suspense - as though he were causing the life of their physical bodies to be in jeopardy, their whole being as one unit or group while they were living their lives; this is an interesting usage of words following the previous encounter recorded in verses 14-18 above)? -
• if it is a fact that emphatically you are the Christ (you yourself are the Anointed-one, the Messiah)
  • it is imperative that you say that fact to us with boldness (lay out a collection of words in a sentence to communicate this specific content with freedom, frankness and openness of speech)!"

Jesus answered (judicially replied to) them...

• "I said to you (I told you previously)
  • and you are not believing (you are not having faith, trusting what I said to you).
• The works (the deeds, the things wrought, the end-products, the effects produced with/by the action of expending energy)
  • which emphatically I do (I myself perform these works)
  • in the name of my Father (which incorporates the fullness of everything involved with my Father, including His authoritative-power, ability, workings, etc, His distinguishing and distinctive constitution, character, and quality; the word "Father" emphasizes Jesus' sonship relationship with God and it lets everyone listening to him know that what he is saying and doing is performed by the power and authority of his Father, not by Jesus' own power or authority),
    • these works witness concerning me (these deeds attest with information, giving the declaration of knowledge that they evidence about me, they state and confirm information about me on the strength of their own authority);
• but contrary to my works and what I say to you,
  • emphatically you do not believe (you yourselves are not having faith in my works and words, you do not trust regarding me)
  • because you are not originating from the sheep (from among the sheep - you are not one of them),
    • emphatically and specifically my sheep (added emphasis is given to the word "my" - mine; as verse 14 above).
• The sheep, emphatically and specifically my sheep (mine),
  • hear my sound (are listening to my voice, the sound coming from me, as verses 3 and 16 above),
• and emphatically I personally know them (I myself have a truly active and relative knowing of them, I am personally knowledgeable of my sheep - God's people; as verse 14 above),
• and they are following me (they are coming after me being their shepherd as I lead them, they come behind me; as verse 4 above),
• and emphatically I am giving eternal life to them (the action of giving is an unforced presenting or yielding something which one already has to someone else who does not have it yet - I myself give to them agelong life – this duration of life will not end and so it is ‘eternal’; this is holy spirit-life; refer also to verse 10 above),
  • and from that point onwards they would never destroy themselves (again the double negative of the word "never" emphasizes the point – they would not ever utterly-ruin or completely-lose themselves away from God)
    • into the age (for the lifetime, the duration of life, for/throughout the age, referring to the specific age which will not end because they receive eternal life),
  • and someone will not catch them out-from my hand (none will snatch, seize and carry them off by force suddenly from my directive, power, rule, and authority; refer also to verse 12 above).
• My Father (God) gave and continues given to me (the truth of which remains unchanged)
  • that-which is greater of all names (the words 'greater' and 'all' are not masculine, but they are neuter agreeing with the word 'name' in verse 25 above - a name that is comparatively larger in magnitude, rank, importance, depth, etc, relative-to every other name - I am doing the works in the name of my Father; as verse 25 above),
• and not-one person or spirit is able (none has the ability, nobody is capable)
• to catch the sheep out-from the hand of the Father;
• I and the Father are one name (the word 'one' is not masculine, but it is neuter which agrees with the word 'name' in verse 25 above)."

In verse 28, the Greek word translated "eternal" is aionios and may also be translated "agelong". In this context, the life being referred to will not end. It is eternal, agelong, lifelong, everlasting. It lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages from the time a person receives it. This life can only be received by God's giving of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ - which was first made available on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2.

[Reference: John 3:16, 4:14, 5:19, 24-29 and 36-43, 6:27, 39, 40, 51 and 58, 8:35, 39-47, and 51, 17:11; Acts 3:11, 5:12. Also refer to the articles The Name of God and Pentecost and holy spirit.]

Verses 31-39:

^.31Again the Judeans lifted-up stones in order that they may stone him. ^.32Jesus answered them, "Many beautiful works out-from my Father I pointed-out to you, because-of what-kind-of work of them do you stone me?" ^.33The Judeans answered him, "Concerning a beautiful work we do not stone you, but concerning blasphemy and because you being a man make yourself God."

^.34Jesus answered them, "It is having been written² in your law that 'I said - gods you are', isn't it? - (yes) - ^.35if He said those-people (are) 'gods' towards whom the word of God became and the writing is not able to be loosened, ^.36whom the Father made-holy and apostled into the world you say that 'you blaspheme' because I said, 'son of God I am'; ^.37if I do not do the works of my Father, you must not believe me - ^.38but if I do (you must believe me); and if-ever you may not believe me, you must believe the works in order that you may know (the Father), and you may know that in me (is) the Father and I (am) in the Father."

^.39Again they sought-after him to apprehend, and he went-out from their hand.

The Judeans again lifted-up stones (a second, another, further time, once again they bore, supported, carried stones) for the purpose and result that they would stone Jesus (refer to John 8:59).

The throwing of stones was a method of punishment in the Mosaic Law for someone who had broken certain laws - this demonstrated to the law-breaker that he had in effect hurt himself by going against the laws of God which had been written on stone.

Jesus answered them...

• "A lot of beautiful works (deeds, things wrought, the end-products, the effects produced with/by the action of expending energy, which have a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness)
  • originating from my Father (from God - my Father was their point of origin)
    • I  pointed-out to you (I indicated them to/for you, as pointing them out to you with my finger),
• on account of what sort of work pertaining to them are you stoning me?"

The Judeans answered him, "We are not stoning you about a beautiful work, but on the contrary, we are stoning you about blasphemy (calumniation, evil speech, the action of treating God and others with lack of Godly reverential-respect) and because emphatically you being a man (you yourself presently and actively are a human-being) are making yourself God (which would be idolatry)."

Jesus answered them...

• "It is already written and continues written in your law that
  • 'Emphatically I said - gods you are' (in Psalm 82:6 it is recorded that God said: I Myself said you are gods; God was speaking to the judges in Israel at that time, and here the word "gods" is referring to the men/women who were to represent the only true God among the people),
    • isn't it?
    • - yes (the Greek construction of this question must receive an affirmative answer: "yes, it is written") -
• if/since it is a fact that God said those-people are 'gods'
  • - why? -
  • because it was towards them that the word of God became (God revealed His word to them regarding different situations and circumstances via the temporary holy spirit that He had given to them and what God told them came to pass)
    • and the writing is not able to be loosened (the old covenant scripture, that-which was written to record this fact cannot, does not have the ability, is not capable of being unbound, unfastened, untied, in the sense of undoing or dismantling it),
• whom the Father made-holy (He sanctified me, caused me to become holy by giving me holy spirit just as He gave them holy spirit on a temporary basis, setting me apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God)
• and apostled into the world (He sent me forth/away on a specific mission or assignment into the ordered-arrangement that He created)
  • emphatically you say (you yourselves are saying to me) that
    • 'you blaspheme (you are speaking evilly, treating God with lack of Godly reverential respect, calumniating against God)'
  • because I said,
    • 'son of God I am (I am God's son - Jesus did not say that he is God but that he is the son of God; the word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence - Jesus had previously received holy spirit from God as recorded in John 1:32)';
• if I am not doing (performing) the works of my Father,
  • you must not believe me (don't believe me) -
• but if I am performing the works of my Father (God, as verses 25 and 32 above)
  • you must believe me (it is imperative that you have faith in me, trust what I say and do);
• and if it should ever happen that you are not believing me,
  • you must believe the works (it is imperative that you have faith in the deeds, the things wrought, the end-products, the effects produced with/by the action of expending energy - believe the works when you see His works being done by me)
  • for the purpose and result that
  • you would personally know the Father (have a truly active and relative knowing of Him, be personally knowledgeable of the Father Who is God),
  • and you would be personally knowing at the present time that
    • in me is the Father (the Father is within my sphere of action because He gave holy spirit to me)
    • and I am in the Father (I am within the Father's sphere of action because He gave holy spirit to me)."

During that past time, historically, again those Judeans were looking for Jesus so as to apprehend him (catch, seize him), and Jesus went out from their hand (from their directive, power, rule, and authority; this is the same usage of the word "hand" as verses 28 and 29 above).

[Reference: Exodus 7:1, 21:6, 22:8 and 9; Leviticus 24:16; Psalm 82:6; Matthew 3:16 and 17; John 1:32, 5:18-25 and 36, 6:56 and 57, 8:17, 28 and 59, 14:10 and 11; I Corinthians 8:5.]

Verses 40-42:

^.40And he went-away again (on the) other-side of the Jordan into the place where John was formerly baptizing, and he remained there. ^.41And many-people went towards him and they said that, "John indeed did not-one sign, but all as-many-things-as John said concerning this-person were true." ^.42And many-people believed into him there.

After the previous events which took place at the feast in winter, Jesus went away again on the other-side of the Jordan (across, beyond, at the east side of the river Jordan) into the location where John used-to-be baptizing previously during a past time (where John was immersing others within/by physical water before, prior to now, historically; refer to John 1:26-42).

Jesus remained (stayed, continued, abode) there on the east side of the river Jordan at that time for the rest of the winter between 27/28 A.D., which had a warmer climate.

A lot of people went towards him and they said that...

• "John indeed did not-one sign (he did not perform any designated signal or standard of authentication, showing or proving authenticity),
• but all things (everything)
  • as much as John said about this man (referring to Jesus)
    • were continuing to be true (having essential reality, inherent verity from God's viewpoint, in the state of being true)."

Many people believed into Jesus there (they had faith-in, trusted into, directed-to, or regarding him whereby he was the object of their believing, trusting what he was saying and doing in that location).

[Reference: Matthew 19:1; Mark 10:1; John 1:26-42. 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.]

John Chapter 11