Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 10:2
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
2. is the shepherd of the sheep ] Better, is a shepherd of the sheep. There is more than one flock in the fold, and therefore more than one shepherd to visit the fold. The Good Shepherd has not yet appeared in the allegory. The allegory indeed is two-fold; in the first part (1 5), which is repeated (7 9), Christ is the Door of the fold; in the second part (11 18) He is the Shepherd; Joh 10:10 forming a link between the two parts.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He that entereth by the door – This was the way in which a shepherd had access to his flock. In Joh 10:7 Jesus says he is the door. In this place he refers to those who by him – that is, in accordance with his spirit and law become ministers of religion.
Is the shepherd of the sheep – Christ does not here refer to himself, for he is the way or door by which others enter; but he refers to all the ministers of the gospel who have access to the church by him. In the original, the article the is missing before the word shepherd – is a shepherd. By his entering in this manner he shows that he is a shepherd one who cares for his flock, and does not come to kill and destroy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. He that entereth in by the door] Observe here the marks, qualities, and duties of a good pastor; The first mark is, that he has a lawful entrance into the ministry by the internal call of Christ, namely, by an impulse proceeding from his Spirit, upon considerations which respect only his glory, and upon motives which aim at nothing but the good of his Church, the salvation of souls, the doing the will of God, and the sacrificing himself entirely to his service, and to that of the meanest of his flock.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
As it is amongst men, the true shepherd goes into the sheepfold by the door; so it is in the church of God. He that taketh not the honour of governing the church to himself, but being called of God, as Aaron was, he is the shepherd of the sheep. This very argument the apostle useth to prove Christ to be the true High Priest, Heb 5:4,5, because he glorified not himself to be made a High Priest, but was made one by him who said unto him, Psa 110:4, (quoted there also, Joh 10:6), Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. God (whose the church is, called his heritage, his peculiar people, & c.) was the Door, by which Christ, the chief Shepherd, entered into the flock; he made him the Head of the church. Eph 5:23. For this he is said to be sent; and often makes himself known to us under the notion of him whom the Father hath sent. And the under shepherds must also derive from Christ: as the Fathers will in sending Christ was his door, so the will of Christ in sending others is their door; that is, their only true way of entering upon the charge of the flock of Christ. As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you, Joh 20:21. There is a double sending; the one is extraordinary, of which mission Christ speaketh to his apostles in that place; thus the apostles and first ministers of the gospel were sent; Christ breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, Joh 20:22; and there was yet a fuller sending of these first shepherds, in the days of Pentecost, Act 2:17. And there is a more ordinary sending, as to which God revealed his will, 2Ti 2:2, The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others. Thus the apostles, Act 14:23, did themselves ordain elders in every church. And Paul for this purpose left Titus in Crete, to set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, Tit 1:5. Whosoever entereth into any place in the church, for the feeding and governing of it, that way which God hath directed in his word, he entereth in by the door, he is the true shepherd. Concerning Christs title, and his way of entrance, and the first preachers of the gospel, immediately sent by Christ, and declared to be sent by the effusion of the Spirit in the days of Pentecost, there can be no question made by any who believeth the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. This text declares, that whosoever cometh into the church with right, and as a true shepherd to it, must come in at the door, by a call from God, (as Christ was sent), or from Christ; either by an extraordinary mission, or in such a method and order as Christ hath in his word directed, either from his own month, or by the mouths of his apostles, whom he, ascending up into heaven, left in the first charge of his church. This is that which every one ought in the first place to look after. We shall observe in Gods whole course with his church, that in the corruption of the state of the church, when it was eminently deviated from the rule he had set, he sent some by an extraordinary mission. Such were the prophets, whose writings make up a part of Scripture. Such were the apostles, and first ministers of the gospel. Such, we say, were our first reformers in Germany, and other parts: nor is it any prejudice to it, that they were able to work no miracles; we read of no miracles wrought by the prophets of old, unless by two or three of them. Their faithful declaring the will of God, and calling men back to the plain law of God in a time when the generality were obviously departed from it; together with their spirit of courage and boldness in their work, was evidence enough that God had sent them. But this text only declareth this general truth, That every true shepherd coming into the church, must come in the right way, by the door. So the great Shepherd of the sheep did, being sent by his Father, whose the church is, to take care of it: so must all inferior shepherds do, by him whom God the Father hath made the door; according to whose directions all the affairs of the church must be ordered.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. he that entereth in by the dooris the shepherd of the sheepa true, divinely recognizedshepherd.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he that entereth in by the door,…. With a divine commission, and by a divine authority, who comes not of himself, but is sent; does not take the honour to himself, or thrust in himself, and assume an office to himself, but is called unto it, and invested in it, he
is the shepherd of the sheep; by whom Christ means himself, as is evident from Joh 10:11, whose the sheep are, and who takes care of them, and feeds them, as a shepherd does his flock; and which holds true of any under shepherd, having his mission and commission, and deriving his authority from Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The shepherd of the sheep ( ). No article with , “a shepherd to the sheep.” He comes in by the door with the sheep whom he leads. Old word is , root meaning to protect. Jesus applies it to himself in verse 16 and implies it here. It is used of Christ in 1Pet 2:25; Heb 13:20. Paul applies it to ministers in Eph 4:11. Jesus uses the verb , to shepherd, to Peter (Joh 21:16) and Peter uses it to other preachers (1Pe 5:2) and Paul uses it for bishops (elders) in Ac 20:28. Our word pastor is simply Latin for shepherd. Christ is drawing a sharp contrast after the conduct of the Pharisees towards the blind man between himself and them.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The shepherd [] . Better, a shepherd. It is the character rather than the person that is contemplated.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “But he that entereth in by the door,” (ho de eiserchomenos dia tes thuras) “However the one who enters through the door,” at the call of the Shepherd, to salvation and service, who leads the way, takes the initiative, goes before and calls lost sheep to a place of perfect safety, shelter, rest, and provision, Joh 1:29; Joh 14:6.
2) ”Is the shepherd of the sheep.” (poimen estin ton probaton) “That one is (now exists as) the shepherd of the sheep;”- You see it is His fold and His sheep, f lock for whom He made provision for their redemption and fellowship and service, and the fold, Eph 5:25; Luk 12:32, Act 20:28.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) But he that entereth in by the door.See Notes on Joh. 10:7-9.
Is the shepherd of the sheep.Better, is a shepherd of the sheep. The word here (comp. Joh. 10:12) simply characterises him that entereth by the door as a shepherd, in opposition to the robber who climbeth over the fence.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(2) Joh. 10:16 of this chapter finds the commencement of its fulfilment in this mission. The appointment of a new body of disciples, whose very number is symbolical of a wider work, was the first step in the bringing in of the other sheep. The Twelve answered to the number of the tribes of Israel; but the Seventy represent the nations of the world. The directions for this work to each body are nearly identical, but the restrictions laid upon the Twelve are not laid upon the Seventy.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“But he who enters in by the doorway is the shepherd of the sheep.”
In one sense John the Baptiser was a shepherd. The righteous prophets were also shepherds. There were undoubtedly others who were shepherds. They all used the door of God’s true word. But the good Shepherd now is Jesus Himself, the ultimate fulfilment of the proclamations of those prophets, the true Word. It is He Who points men to God through faith in Himself. It is He by Whom men can enter into the good pleasure of God. It is He by Whom those who are His own will live their lives, under His guidance, care and protection. He not only enters by the doorway, but is the doorway, the way supervised by God, the right way, the way that gives true freedom, the way true to the word of God, as against those who have to sneak in by other ways.
We should note here that even the Scriptures take a secondary place. They were important as pointing to Him. But as a result of His coming all secondary features fall into the background, even the Scriptures. Concentration is on Him. If anything brings out the uniqueness of Jesus it is this.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 10:2-4. But he that entereth, &c. “The teacher who believes on me, and acts by my commission, is properly the shepherd; to him the door-keeper openeth, and the sheep hear his voice. The people of God, knowing him to be the true pastor, hearken unto him, and he calleth, &c.” Our Lord here alludes to the customs of Judea; where the shepherds gave names to their sheep, which answered to them as dogs and horses do with us; following them to their pasture, and wherever their shepherds thought fit to lead them, who commonly went before them, playing on some musical instrument. See Virg. Eclogue 2: Joh 10:23. The moral or spiritual meaning of these circumstances is, that every faithful minister of Christattends upon the duties of his ministry, making them his principal business; that he spends his time among his people; that he knows their characters and tempers; while true believers are obedient to his instructions, which the faithful pastor delivers always with great plainness, concealing nothing, however disagreeable to the corrupt inclinations of men.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 10:2-3 . ] Shepherd , without article qualitatively ; it characterizes such a one, not specially as the owner (the antithesis to the hireling first appears in Joh 10:12 ), but in general, in opposition to the robber .
] belongs to the description of the legitimate mode of entering, and is not intended to have any special explanation; for which reason also no further notice is taken of it in Joh 10:7-8 . It must not, therefore, be explained either of God (Calvin, Maldonatus, Bengel, Tholuck, Ewald, Hengstenberg, following Joh 6:44 f.); or of the Holy Spirit , Act 13:2 (Theodoret, Heracleon, Ruperti, Aretius, Corn. a Lapide, and several others, also Lange); or of Christ (Cyril, Augustine); or of Moses (Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Euth. Zigabenus, Luther, following Deu 18:15 ); or of John the Baptist (Godet, after Joh 1:7 ). He enters into the fold, and the sheep hear His voice (His call, His address, His appeal); they listen to it as to the voice which is known to them (comp. Joh 10:4 ). Comp. the shepherd’s cry to his flock, “ ,” in Theocr . iv. 46, viii. 69.
] are the sheep in the fold generally. It was common for several flocks to pass the night in one fold; and their shepherds, because they come every morning to lead out the individual flocks, are known to all the sheep in the fold. On the contrary, are the sheep which belong to the special flock of him who has entered; [60] these he calls , i.e . not merely (that would be merely , or , or , Polyb. 5. 35. 2, 11. 15. 1), but distributively by their names, each by its name , , Euth. Zigabenus. To give to the individual animals of their flock a name was not an unusual custom among the shepherds of ancient times. See Interpp. ad Theocr . 5. 101; Pricaeus on the passage. In Lange’s view ( Leben Jesu , II. p. 955) the . are the favourite sheep (image of the elect), the bellwethers, which are followed by the whole flock ( , Joh 10:4 ). This is incorrect; for, on the one hand, alone would not sufficiently support this notion (comp. Joh 10:12 ); and on the other, and , Joh 10:4 , are so completely correlate, that and must necessarily be the same: at all events, must otherwise have been used instead of , Joh 10:4 .
] to pasture, Joh 10:9-10 . Looking back to Joh 9:34 ; Joh 9:22 , Godet imports into the words the idea of separation from the old theocracy, which is devoted to ruin. [61] Such a thought is contained neither in the words ( Pollux , i. 250) nor in the context.
[60] Into the beautiful general figure of , the word introduces a special, individual element, which makes it all the richer and more telling. It has been incorrectly maintained (by Bengel, Luthardt, Hengstenberg, and others), that although is first associated with when it occurs for the second time, the which hear must necessarily be the same as those which are afterwards described as . These latter are no doubt among the which hear; but it is only that the shepherd calls by name, and so forth. Thus the particular Church belongs to the Universal.
[61] Similarly even Luther: “It denotes the Christian freedom from the law and judgment.”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Ver. 2. But he that entereth in by the door ] That is, called by Christ to the office of his undershepherd. In physicis aer non faeit seipsum ignem, sed fit a superiori, saith Aquinas.
Is the shepherd of the sheep ] To the which is required, that he be both learned and loving. This note ariseth out of the notation of the word here used. ( quasi , of , a sheep, and , to desire earnestly.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 10:2 . On the other hand, , “but he that entereth by the door is shepherd of the sheep”. The shepherd is known by his using the legitimate mode of entrance. What that is, He does not here explicitly state. The shepherd is further recognised by his treatment of the sheep, [better ] , “his own sheep he calls by name”. perhaps as distinguished from others in the same fold; perhaps merely a strong possessive. As we have names for horses, dogs, cows, so the Eastern shepherds for their sheep. [“Many of the sheep have particular names,” Van Lennep, Bible Lands , i. 189. It was also a Greek custom to name sheep, and Wetstein quotes from Longus, ] . When he has put all his own out of the fold, they follow him, because they know his voice: the shepherd walking in front as is still the custom in the East. This method cannot be adopted by strangers “because the sheep know not the voice of strangers”. “There is a story of a Scotch traveller who changed clothes with a Jerusalem shepherd and tried to lead the sheep; but the sheep followed the shepherd’s voice and not his clothes.” Plummer. So that the shepherd’s claim is justified not only by his method of entrance but by his Knowledge of the names of the individual sheep and by their knowledge of him and confidence in him. The different methods are illustrated in Andrewes and Laud, the former saying “Our guiding must be mild and gentle, else it is not duxisti , but traxisti , drawing and driving and no leading”; the latter, of whom it was said that he “would never convince an opponent if he could suppress him”. See Ottley’s Andrewes , 159.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
the = a: i.e. one of many.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 10:2. , but he who enters) through Christ: Joh 10:9, The door.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 10:2
Joh 10:2
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.-The door, it seems to me, is the entering into the way pointed out by the prophets. To come as they foretold is to enter by the door into the work of saving the world. [The prophecies pointing to the coming of Christ was the door through which he passed. He fulfilled all of them. He who claims to be the shepherd of the sheep, failing to fulfill these prophecies, has climbed up some other way than going through the door, and is therefore a thief and a robber.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
he that: Joh 10:7, Joh 10:9, Act 20:28, 1Ti 3:2-7, 1Ti 4:14, Tit 1:5, Rev 1:20, Rev 2:1
the shepherd: Joh 10:11, Joh 10:12, Joh 10:14, Psa 23:1, Psa 80:1, Ecc 12:11, Isa 40:11, Isa 63:11, Eze 34:23, Mic 5:5, Zec 11:3, Zec 11:5, Zec 11:8, Zec 13:7, Heb 13:20, 1Pe 2:25, 1Pe 5:4
Reciprocal: Eze 34:5 – and they became Joh 10:16 – one shepherd
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
The person entering the door into the sheepfold would thus be denoted as the true shepherd for two reasons. First, none but the true shepherd would attempt to gain entrance at that place. Second, even if anyone should try to get through it who was not entitled to enter, he would not be permitted to do so. (See next verse.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 10:2-5. He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd, &c. This mode of speaking, with us, conveys the notion that the shepherd is the only person who enters by the door; yet the door-keeper, and the sheep themselves, enter also the same way. The original expression is manifestly intended to denote the constant, not the peculiar, use which the shepherd makes of the door, as opposed to the constant use of thieves and robbers, to force their entrance by breaking or climbing over the fence. The comparison is made, not to the folds used by the common people in remote parts of the country, but to those belonging to the rich in the neighbourhood of a populous city, where the walls and other fences need to be stronger, and the entrance more carefully kept, on account of the greater danger from thieves. Campbell. To him the porter openeth As the shepherd will always choose to enter in by that which is the regular appointed way, so, as soon as he approaches, the door-keeper opens the fold; that is, God in his providence, and by the influence of his Spirit, makes way for such a one to exercise his ministry among his people, and gives success to it. For as it is not unworthy of Christ to be styled the door, by which both the sheep and the true pastors enter, so neither is it unworthy of God the Father to be styled the door-keeper. See Act 14:27; and Act 16:14; Col 4:3; Rev 3:8. It was supposed by Sir Isaac Newton, that as the words were spoken near the temple, where sheep were kept in folds to be sold for sacrifices, Christ here alludes to what was peculiar in those folds; that as they were kept locked, they not only excluded the thief, but the shepherd, till the door-keeper opened them. But I cannot think, says Dr. Doddridge, whatever occasion Christ might take from the sight of sheep to represent his people under that image, and himself as a shepherd, he would describe them like sheep shut up in a pen to be sold for sacrifice: nor does the shepherds leading them out, &c., agree with this circumstance. In countries where there were so many savage beasts, it might be ordinarily necessary to have the folds better secured than among us; and the chief shepherd might often leave a servant to watch them while thus shut up, and come himself to lead them out to pasture in the morning. And the sheep hear his voice The people of God, knowing him to be a true pastor, hearken unto him. All the circumstances here mentioned exactly agree with the customs of the ancient eastern shepherds. They called their sheep by name, went before them, and the sheep followed them. So real Christians hear, attend to, understand, and obey the voice of a shepherd whom Christ hath sent: and he counteth them his own, dearer than any friend or brother; calleth them by name That is, instructs, advises, directs, encourages each by name, and leadeth them out in the paths of righteousness, beside the waters of comfort. And when he putteth forth his own sheep Leads them out into the pastures of the ordinances, invites them to the enjoyment of the privileges, and urges them to the practice of the duties of true Christianity; he goeth before them In all these particulars, and in all the ways of God, teaching them in every point by example, as well as by precept; and the sheep follow him They tread in his steps; for they know his voice Having the witness in themselves, that his words are the truth, the wisdom, and the power of God. Reader, art thou a shepherd of souls? Then answer to God: is it thus with thee and thy flock? And a stranger will they not follow One whom Christ hath not sent, who does not answer the preceding description. Him they will not follow; and who can constrain them to it? But will flee from him As from the plague. For they know not the voice of strangers They cannot relish it. It is harsh and grating to them. They find nothing of God therein. In other words, as sheep will not follow a strange shepherd, so the people of God will not hearken to false teachers, or to such as do not declare, plainly, fully, and with a divine unction, the very word of the truth of the gospel: but will avoid them, for they can easily distinguish them from the true messengers of God by their fruits, that is, by their doctrine and practice, and the inefficacy of their preaching to convert, sanctify, and save the souls of men.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
In contrast to these plunderers, an approved shepherd would enter the pen through its gate rather than over its wall. Jesus was implying that He came to Israel as God’s authorized representative, the Messiah. The religious leaders on the other hand did not have divine sanction for their dealings with Israel that were essentially destructive as well as selfish.