Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 10:4
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
4. when he putteth forth his own sheep ] Better, when he hath put forth all his own. Most of the best MSS. have ‘all’ for ‘sheep:’ ‘there shall not an hoof be left behind’ (Exo 10:26). The word for ‘put forth’ is remarkable; it is the same as is used in Joh 9:34-35 of the Pharisees ‘casting out’ the man born blind. This is perhaps not accidental: the false shepherds put forth sheep to rid themselves of trouble; the true shepherds put forth sheep to feed them. But even the true shepherds must sometimes use a certain amount of violence to their sheep to ‘compel them to come’ (Luk 14:23) to the pastures. But note that there are no ‘goats’ in the allegory: all the flock are faithful. It is the ideal Church composed entirely of the elect. The object of the allegory being to set forth the relations of Christ to His sheep, the possibility of bad sheep is not taken into account. That side of the picture is treated in the parables of the Lost Sheep, and of the Sheep and the Goats.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He putteth forth – Or leads them out of the fold.
He goeth before them – He leads them, and guides them, and does not leave them. A shepherd spent his time with his flocks. He went before them to seek the best pastures and watering-places, and to defend them from danger. In this is beautifully represented the tender care of him who watches for souls as one that must give account.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. He goeth before them] A sixth mark of a true pastor is, he gives them a good example: he not only preaches, but he lives, the truth of the Gospel; he enters into the depths of the salvation of God; and, having thus explored the path, he knows how to lead those who are entrusted to his care into the fulness of the blessings of the Gospel of peace. He who does not endeavour to realize in his own soul the truths which he preaches to others will soon be as salt without its savour; his preaching cannot be accompanied with that unction which alone can make it acceptable and profitable to those whose hearts are right with God. The minister who is in this state of salvation the sheep, genuine Christians, will follow, for they know his voice. It was the custom in the eastern countries for the shepherd to go at the head of his sheep, and they followed him from pasture to pasture. I have seen many hundreds of sheep thus following their shepherd on the extensive downs in the western parts of England.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In our country at this day, shepherds generally follow their sheep, which go before them. In other countries, as France, &c., it is otherwise at this day; the shepherds go before their flocks, and their flocks follow them, upon some sounds they make. In Palestine (which was the Jews country) it should seem that the shepherds sometimes went before their sheep, and sometimes followed them. David followed his fathers sheep, 2Sa 7:8; Psa 78:71. On the other side, God is spoken of, Psa 80:1, under the notion of the Shepherd of Israel, who leadeth Joseph like a flock. And the psalmist, Psa 23:1, speaking of God as his Shepherd, saith, Psa 23:2, he leadeth me beside the still waters. Christ here speaketh of himself under the notion of a shepherd that went before his sheep, and whom the sheep followed; and thereby lets us know the duty of all faithful pastors in the church, so to live, that their flocks may follow them with safety; which cannot be, unless they follow Christ, 1Co 11:1. For, saith our Saviour, those that are my true sheep, they know my voice; thereby signifying that power of discerning between truth and damnable errors, which the Lord gives unto all true believers, 1Jo 2:27.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when he putteth forth his own sheep,…. The Ethiopic version reads, “when he leads them all out”; in order to bring them into proper pastures:
he goeth before them; in allusion to the eastern shepherds, who when they put out their flocks, did not, as ours do, drive them before them, and follow after them, at least not always, but went before them: so Christ, the great shepherd, goes before his flock, not only to provide for them, but by way of example to them; in many instances he is an ensample to the flock, as under shepherds, according to the measure of grace received, should be: he has left them an example in many respects, that they should tread in his steps:
and the sheep follow him; in the exercise of the graces of humility, love, patience, self-denial, and resignation of will to the will of God; and in the discharge of duty, walking, in some measure, as he walked.
For they know his voice; in the Gospel, which directs and encourages them to exercise grace in him, and to walk in the path of duty: this they know by the majesty and authority of it; and by the power with which it comes to their souls; and by its speaking of him, and leading to him; and by the evenness, harmony, and consistency of it. The Persic version renders the whole thus; “when he calls and leads out the sheep, they go before him, and their lambs after them, for they know his voice”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When he hath put forth all his own ( ). Indefinite temporal clause with and the second aorist (effective) active subjunctive of . No need of the futurum exactum idea, simply, “when he leads out all his own sheep.” They are all out of the fold. He overlooks none. does mean “thrust out” if a reluctant sheep wishes to linger too long.
He goeth before them ( ). Staff in hand he leads the way in front of the flock and they follow () him. What a lesson for pastors who seek to drive the church like cattle and fail. The true pastor leads in love, in words, in deeds.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Putteth forth [] . Rev., more strictly, hath put forth. Instead of leadeth out, in ver. 3. It implies a constraint; as if some of the sheep were unwilling to leave the fold. Meyer says that putteth forth pictures the manner of the leading out. He lays hold on the sheep and brings them out to the door.
His own sheep [ ] . The best texts read panta, all, for probata, sheep : all his own. So Rev.
Goeth before. As the Eastern shepherd always does. Having pushed them forth, he now leads them.
Follow. “It is necessary that they should be taught to follow, and not stray away into the unfenced fields of wheat which lie so temptingly on either side. The shepherd calls from time to time to remind them of his presence. They know his voice and follow on; but if a stranger call, they stop, lift up their heads in alarm, and if the call is repeated, they turn and flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers. This is not the fanciful costume of a parable; it is simple fact. I have made the experiment often” (Thomson).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when he putteth forth his own sheep,” (hotan ta idia panta ekbale) “When he puts out all his own,” or puts them forth, in fields of witnessing, light bearing, and service, Mat 5:15-16; Mat 28:19-20; Act 1:8.
2) “He goeth before them,” (emprosthen auton poreuetai) “He goes in front of them,” or before them of his own choice or accord, as the Eastern Shepherd always leads his sheep. He asks them to go no place, do no service, endure no pain that He Himself does not understand, for He had and does go before them, Heb 4:15-16; 1Co 10:13; Joh 17:19; Col 2:11-15.
3) “And the sheep follow him:- (kai ta probata auto alkolouthei) “And the sheep follow him,” one by one, because they choose to do so, feeling safe, secure to go where He leads, Joh 10:27.
4) “For they know his voice.” (hoti oidasin ten phonen autou) “Because they know, perceive, or recognize his voice,” as Savior, Lord, Master. As He calls, cheers, encourages, comforts, provides, and protects them, by day and by night, So 2:8; Joh 10:14; 2Ti 1:12; Joh 17:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
4. Because they know his voice. Though he speaks here of ministers, yet, instead of wishing that they should be heard, he wishes that God should be heard speaking by them; for we must attend to the distinction which he has laid down, that he alone is a faithful pastor or shepherd (283) of the Church, who conducts and governs his sheep by the direction of Christ. We must attend to the reason why it is said that the sheep follow; it is, because they know how to distinguish shepherds from wolves by the voice This is the spirit of discernment, by which the elect discriminate between the truth of God and the false inventions of men. So then, in the sheep of Christ a knowledge of the truth goes before, and next follows an earnest desire to obey, so that they not only understand what is true, but receive it with warm affection. And not only does he commend the obedience of the faith, because the sheep assemble submissively at the voice of the shepherd, but also because they do not listen to the voice of strangers, and do not disperse when any one cries to them.
(283) The word pastor signifies shepherd, but, for the sake of the reader, who may not be aware of its etymology, it has been found necessary, in some cases, to employ both of the words, especially where the figure holds so prominent a place in the discussion. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) And when he putteth forth his own sheep.The majority of the better MSS. add the word all. The tense is past. We should read, therefore, when he has put forth all his own sheep. The addition is important as marking the care of the shepherd to count his flock and see that none is missing. The word put forth is stronger than lead out, in the previous verse, and represents the details of the action as it took place in the sheepfold. The shepherd would call each sheep by name, and when it answered to its name would drag it outside the fold. Though it knew its shepherd, it would be unwilling to separate itself from the whole flock. One by one, then, he calls his sheep, and places them outside the fold.
He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him.This is one of the incidents in the management of an Eastern flock, which strikes all who see it for the first time, and is abundantly illustrated in books of Eastern travel. The details are here given with minute accuracy. When the last sheep has been brought out the shepherd places himself at their head, and the flock together follow him.
For they know his voice.The word is stronger than the one in Joh. 10:3, and the sheep hear his voice. It expresses the familiar knowledge which the little flock has of the voice of their own shepherd who leads them day by day.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Goeth before them The Palestinian shepherd goes before the sheep, while the Grecian shepherd drives them before himself. It is curious to note that the very word in Greek for sheep, , signifies a goer-before. The sheep is trained not to turn to the corn fields lying unfenced beside his path to tempt him, as trouble then ensues. The true pastor is a true leader, by his example of holiness, his zeal in benevolent enterprise, his faith and earnestness for the salvation of men.
Sheep Not merely the actually justified, but those who feel the need of the Saviour, and, even before they find him, are predisposed and spiritually ready to trust and obey him. These are his sheep, not by a predestination from all eternity, but by a predetermination of their own heart and will under the blessed influences and guidances of the divine Spirit. See note on Joh 9:36.
Know his voice As the sheep by animal instinct learns to know his shepherd’s voice, so do the spiritual sheep, like the blind-born, by a discerning of spirit, recognize the pastor who truly feeds their souls.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“When he has put forth all his own he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
This is the test of which sheep are His. Once He has called them and put them forth from the fold they follow Him. And they can do so confidently, for as they go on the way, living their day by day lives, they know that He is constantly before them, watching over them and protecting them, leading the way. And they continually respond to Him for they know His voice. As He will say later in the chapter, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me –’.
Jesus probably had in mind here the prayer of Moses in Num 27:15-18. ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him”.’ It is not without significance that the name ‘Joshua’ is the Hebrew for ‘Jesus’. In the end Moses gives way to Jesus, of Whom Joshua was a type.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 10:4 . And when he has brought out all his own sheep (those belonging to his flock), and so forth. He leaves none behind ( , see the critical note). pictures forth the manner of the . He lays hold on the sheep which he has called to him, and brings them out to the door.
The idea, which is symbolically set forth in Joh 10:3-4 , is that of the living, loving fellowship which subsists between the leaders of the people of God, whom Christ has appointed, and Christ Himself, for the satisfaction of the spiritual needs of the Church, both in general and in particular.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Ver. 4. He goeth before them ] According to the custom of shepherds in that country, not to drive their sheep, but to lead them, as David shows in his divine Bucolicon, Psa 23:2 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] When he has led forth ( = ) to pasture all his sheep (there shall not an hoof be left behind), he goes before them (see The Land and the Book, p. 202); in his teaching pointing out the way to them; they follow him, because they know his voice; his words and teaching are familiar to them. But observe that the expression here becomes again more general; not . ., but . as in Joh 10:3 . The sheep know the voice of every true shepherd.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
he putteth forth = he shall have put forth.
before = in front of. Not the same as in Joh 10:8.
for = because,
know = know intuitively. From birth, not front having been taught. App-132. See note on Joh 1:26.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] When he has led forth ( = ) to pasture all his sheep (there shall not an hoof be left behind), he goes before them (see The Land and the Book, p. 202); in his teaching pointing out the way to them; they follow him, because they know his voice; his words and teaching are familiar to them. But observe that the expression here becomes again more general; not . ., but . as in Joh 10:3. The sheep know the voice of every true shepherd.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 10:4. , He putteth forth) Synonymous with the verb, , He leadeth out, but more general.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 10:4
Joh 10:4
When he hath put forth all his own,-[Has separated his sheep from those of his neighbors.]
he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him:-[This is in accordance with oriental custom to this day. Sheep are not driven but led, the shepherd walking in front occasionally uttering a peculiar voice.]
for they know his voice.-[Distinct from that of all other voices.] Jesus leads by his teaching and example, and those willing to hear follow out of the fold of Judaism into the privileges of Christ.,
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
he goeth: Joh 12:26, Joh 13:15, Joh 14:2, Joh 14:3, Deu 1:30, Mic 2:12, Mic 2:13, Mat 16:24, 1Co 11:1, Eph 5:1, Phi 2:5-11, Heb 6:20, Heb 12:2, 1Pe 2:21, 1Pe 4:1, 1Pe 5:3
for: Joh 10:8, Joh 10:16, Joh 3:29, Joh 18:37, Son 2:8, Son 5:2
Reciprocal: Gen 33:3 – passed Num 9:17 – and in the Num 27:17 – go out 2Sa 5:2 – feed 1Ki 3:7 – to go 1Ch 11:2 – that leddest Psa 80:1 – leadest Psa 95:7 – people Isa 49:10 – he that Jer 33:13 – shall Joh 10:3 – the sheep Joh 10:26 – because Joh 10:27 – sheep 1Co 4:16 – General 1Jo 2:20 – and ye
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE SHEEP AND THE SHEPHERD
He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.
Joh 10:4 (R.V.)
That is a parable, and a very beautiful one. For in our text Christ drew His own Portrait and the portraits of His sheep too.
I. They follow Him.Of course, this means self-denial. It is the way of the Cross. So the Master said, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Mar 8:34). True, all our lives long, as Miss Rossetti says, we shall be bound to refrain our soul, and keep it low: but what then? For the books we now forbear to read, we shall one day be endued with wisdom and knowledge. For the music we will not listen to, we shall join the song of the redeemed. For the pictures from which we turn, we shall gaze unabashed on the Beatific Vision. For the companionship we shun, we shall be welcomed into angelic society, and the communion of triumphant saints. For the amusements we avoid, we shall keep the supreme jubilee. For all the pleasure we miss, we shall abide, and for evermore abide, in the rapture of heaven.
II. They know His Voice.Our Saviour had said that dead souls should hear His Voice and live: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live (Joh 5:25). He not simply foresaw, but He purposed that His sheep should hear His Voice and be saved, for Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold (that is, not Jews): them also I must bring, and they shall hear My Voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd (Joh 10:16). So Jesus speaks, and their ears are opened to hear. And where does He speak? In the Bible. Hence the necessity of reading and meditating upon the Holy Scriptures.
III. At last the hill is climbed, and what then?If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour (Joh 12:26). And That first sight of the Lord, O what will it be?
Rev. F. Harper.
Illustration
It fell to my lot, says Dr. James Stalker, to look over the papers of a deceased friend. As all who have had the same duty to perform must know, it is a pathetic task. There is a haunting sense of desecration in rifling the secrets kept hidden during life and learning exactly what the man was beneath the surface. When I opened his Bible especially, it told an unmistakable story; for the marks of long and diligent use were visible on every pagethe leaves were well worn, the choice texts underlined, short breathings of the heart noted on the margins. In some parts the marks of use were peculiarly frequent. This was the case especially with Psalms, Isaiah, and Hosea in the Old Testament, and the writings of John in the New. I now knew the reality of the life that was ended, and whence its virtues had sprung. I copied from the flyleaf of my friends Bible a few words which perhaps explain the source of true love to the Word: Oh, to come nearer to Christ, nearer to God, nearer to holiness! Every day to live more completely in Him, by Him, for and with Him. There is a Christ; shall I be Christless? A cleansing; shall I remain foul? A Fathers love; shall I be an alien? A heaven; shall I be cast out?
(SECOND OUTLINE)
THE GUIDING SHEPHERD
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls His sheep to Himself with a personal call, and leads those who answer to His call to live under His care. Once and for all He puts them forth, constraining them by His Holy Spirit to yield themselves to His obedience.
I. Our Lord leads us forth into the common life of men.He leads us to its home life, to its life of love, to its life of social intercourse, to its life of politics. He calls on us to taste alike its sorrows and its joys. We are, it is true, to be a separated people, but we are not to be a people separated with the separation of those who, like the Baptist, come not eating and drinking. We are separated with the separation of those who, following Christ whilst they come eating and drinking, are yet holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. We are called to be in the world whilst we are forbidden to be of it. So only can the Church act on the world as its salt, its light, its leaven. In the world, but not of it.
II. Each of us is conscious of his need of a guide as he goes through life.Ignorance, impetuosity, discouragement so often possess us, and they are each of them causes of peril. We need a guide who is wise with the wisdom of a like experience, who will restrain us with firmness, and encourage us with sympathy. This need Jesus meets as He reveals Himself to us as the director of His people. He is at once wise, strong, and tender. When He came to call His own out of Jewry and Heathendom He went before them in the way of life He would have them tread. From the cradle to the grave He went before, and His people, generation after generation, follow Him in every stage of lifes journey, treading in His steps. In every sphere of life, in the home, in the shop, in the world, in the House of God, in the crowded city, in the still seclusion of the country, on the sea, by the well side, in the garden, on the mountain top His footprints are visible to the eye of faith. Wherever we are Jesus has gone before.
Canon Body.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
4
The sheep recognized the voice of their master because he was the one who called them by name. It is characteristic of pets to notice when their name is mentioned. One may see an advertisement in the press for a lost animal, and probably the ad will state, “he recognizes the name,” and then follows the name of the animal.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 10:4. When he hath put out all his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. The first words take up the thought contained in the words that immediately precede (and leadeth them out), but express it with greater force. The shepherd leads forth all his own sheep,not one is left behind. But the change from leading out to putting out is remarkable. In the figure it may refer to the solicitude of the shepherd to remove every sheep under his care from the fold in which it is not well that any should longer remain: some may be slow in following his lead, but he sees that none shall be overlooked. The real significance of this word, however, is connected with the interpretation of the parable (see below): for we cannot doubt that our Lord designedly uses here that very word which was employed to denote expulsion from the synagogue, and which has already met us in two consecutive verses of the previous chapter (34, 35), when the treatment received from the Jews by the man born blind is described. In this verse again we find complete faithfulness of description. To this day the Eastern shepherd goes before his flock, leading, not driving the sheep, and keeping them near him through their recognition of his voice.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Many shepherds drove their sheep before them, and some of them used sheep dogs to help them. However this shepherd, as many others did, went before his sheep and led them where he wanted to take them. This description reflects the style of Jesus’ leadership. He led His disciples who followed Him (cf. Gal 5:18).
His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They recognize Him for who He is, namely, their Shepherd. Conversely they will not follow false shepherds because their voice or teaching is strange to them. Jesus was describing what is typical behavior in such relationships, not that every individual sheep always behaves this way in every instance, as experience testifies.
Some people appeal to these verses to prove that true Christians will inevitably follow Christ and will never apostatize. This seems wrong for at least three reasons. First, Jesus said that His sheep follow Him, not a stranger, because they know the Good Shepherd’s voice (what he says, his teaching). Sheep normally do follow their shepherd because they know his voice, but there are exceptions among sheep and among Christians. Second, if following false teachers were impossible for Christians, why are there so many warnings against doing precisely that in the New Testament? Third, John identified this saying of Jesus as a figure of speech (or compressed thought, Joh 10:6). Illustrations typically make a main point, so we should not expect this illustration to correspond to reality in every detail, much less to teach doctrine in all its parts.
The point of these verses is how God forms His flock. People come to Jesus because He calls them, and they follow Him because they belong to Him. Many of the Jews who heard Jesus’ voice disregarded Him because they considered Abraham or Moses or some famous rabbi as their shepherd.