John 10 - Holman KJV Study Bible

10:1-42 In this discourse, ­Jesus criticized the Jewish leaders for failing to give Israel proper spiritual guidance. By contrast, ­Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Hence chapter 10 provides a commentary on the previous chapter, which revealed the Jewish leadership's legal pettiness, rigidity, and hardness toward God. Not only is ­Jesus the good shepherd, He is also the door through which believers find abundant, eternal life (v v. 9-10). The following interchange, culminating in another attempt to stone ­Jesus for blasphemy, took place at the feast of dedication (v v. 22-39). It is followed by a final reference to John the Baptist, closing out the "festival cycle" of chapters 5–10 and the entire section (1:19–10:42), which began with the ministry of John the Baptist and his witness to ­Jesus.

10:1 The sheepfold may have been a courtyard (18:15) near a house surrounded by a stone wall where several families kept their sheep. The gate would have been guarded by a hired doorkeeper (10:3). Thief may focus on the covert nature of entrance to the pen, and robber on violence (Luke 10:30,36).

10:3-4 On porter, see note at verse 1. The reference to the shepherd calling and leading his sheep may allude to passages such as Num. 27:16-18 (esp. v. 17), possibly a messianic passage, or Ezek. 34:13. Israel's exodus from Egypt is sometimes portrayed as a flock following its shepherd (Ps. 77:20; Isa. 63:11,14; cp. Ps. 78:52). Old Testament prophetic literature envisioned a similar end-time deliverance for God's people (Micha :12-13).

10:7,9 ­Jesus' reference to Himself as the door may hark back to messianic readings of passages such as Ps. 118:20 (see notes at 6:35,48 and 10:1).

10:8 All that ever came before me may hint at messianic pretenders who promised their followers freedom but led them into armed conflict and doom instead (Acts 5:36-37; 21:38). Thieves and robbers is reminiscent of Israel's shepherds who had been feeding themselves but not the flock (Ezek. 34:2-4; see note at John 10:1).

10:9 ­Jesus is the door to salvation (cp. 14:6). The NT elsewhere speaks of "entering" God's kingdom as through a door (Matt. 7:7,13; 25:10; Acts 14:22). Go in and out echoes covenant terminology, especially blessings for obedience (Deut. 28:6; cp. Ps. 121:8). It is also reminiscent of Moses' description of Joshua, who led Israel into the promised land (Num. 27:16-17). Find pasture depicts the assurance of God's provision (1 Chron. 4:40; Ps. 23:2; Isa. 49:9-10; Ezek. 34:12-15).

10:10 ­Jesus' promise of abundant life in the here and now brings to mind OT prophetic passages such as Ezek. 34:12-15,25-31. See note at 5:26.

10:11 ­Jesus is the good shepherd (see note at 6:35,48). In the OT, God as the true shepherd is contrasted with unfaithful shepherds whom God will judge (ZeJer. 23:1-4; Ezek. 34; ch. 11:4-17). David (or the Davidic Messiah) was also depicted as a good shepherd (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70-72; Ezek. 37:24; Mic. 5:4), as was Moses (Isa. 63:11; cp. Ps. 77:20). The reference to giving one's life for the sheep calls to mind young David (1 Sam. 17:34-37).

10:12 The hireling does not care for the sheep and abandons them in times of danger. The hired hands of Israel (Ezek. 22:27) are contrasted with God and His Messiah, whose role is patterned after God's "good shepherd" par excellence, King David (1 Sam. 17:34-36).

10:14 On ­Jesus as the good shepherd, see note at verse 11.

10:16 The other sheep . . . not of this fold are the Gentiles (Isa. 56:8). ­Jesus envisioned a future Gentile mission following His death on the cross. One fold, and one shepherd alludes to Ezek. 34:23; 37:24. Believing Jews and Gentiles will be united into one messianic community.

10:18 This commandment have I received is covenantal language, relating ­Jesus' relationship with the Father to the OT depiction of God's relationship with Israel.

10:20-21 In ancient times insanity and demon possession were frequently linked. The reference to opening the eyes of the blind links the good shepherd discourse with the healing of the blind man in chapter 9. The charges of demon possession (which harks back to similar charges from earliersee note at ; 7:20) and insanity were contradicted by OT teaching that it is God who gives sight to the blind (Ps. 146:8; cp. Exod. 4:11).

10:22 The eight-day feast of the dedication celebrated the rededication of the Jewish temple in December of 164 b.c. after its desecration by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 b.c. (1Macc 1:59). See note at 2:13.

10:23 On the temple, see note at 2:14. Probably because of the cold winter weather, ­Jesus taught in Solomon's porch. The structure was commonly (though erroneously) thought to date back to Solomon's time. Later it became the gathering place for the early church (Acts 3:11; 5:12).

10:24-25 The Jews' demand seems like double talk (Luke 22:67). If they had not understood ­Jesus' claim to be the Messiah, why did they repeatedly try to kill Him? (5:18; 7:25; 8:59). Indeed, ­Jesus responded that He did make this claim. On ­Jesus' works testifying about Himself, see note at 5:31-47.

10:28-29 Pluck denotes the use of force (see note at v. 1). The comment contrasts with the figure of the hired man in verses 12-13 who abandoned the flock in times of danger, and recalls OT statements that no one can rob from God's hand (Isa. 43:13).

10:30 ­Jesus' claim that He and the Father are one (cp. v v. 33-38; 5:17-18) echoes the Shema, the basic confession of Judaism (Deut. 6:4) and amounts to a claim to deity. ­Jesus' unity with the Father is later said to be the basis on which ­Jesus' followers are to be unified (17:22).

10:31 On the attempt to stone ­Jesus for blasphemy, see notes at 5:18 and 8:59.

10:32 On ­Jesus' works as a testimony, see note at 5:31-47.

10:33 The charge against ­Jesus appears to be grounded in Lev. 24:16 (cp. Num. 15:30-31; Mark 14:61-64; see notes at John 8:59 and 19:7).

10:34 ­Jesus' point in quoting Ps. 82:6 was that if human judges can in some sense be called gods in the ­Scriptures, this designation is even more appropriate for Himself.

10:35 ­Jesus' statement that the scripture cannot be broken is evidence for His belief in the inviolability of God's written Word (in this case, the Hebrew Scripturescp. ; Matt. 5:18). ­Jesus and many of His opponents upheld the authority of God's Word.

10:36 The reference to ­Jesus being sanctified for His mission echoes language used of appointed men such as Moses the lawgiver, Jeremiah the prophet, and the Aaronic priests.

0:37-38 On ­Jesus' works as a testimony, see note at 5:31-47.

10:40 On the place John baptized, see note at 1:28.