John 10:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

NIV: I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

NASB: And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.

CSB: But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.

NLT: I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

KJV: And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

NKJV: And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Jesus has been making analogies about His ministry using the theme of shepherding. So far, He has made three main points. The first is that a person's response to Jesus depends on whether they are part of "His" flock (John 10:1–6). The second explained that Jesus is the single means by which mankind is meant to find salvation (John 10:7–9). In the third, Jesus proclaims Himself the "good shepherd" to contrast His self-sacrifice and protection with those who abuse or abandon those they claim to lead (John 10:10–14; Ezekiel 34). In prior verses, Jesus noted how sheep naturally know the voice of their own shepherd and that His intimate relationship with His spiritual flock mirrors the relationship between Himself and God the Father (John 10:14–15).

Here, Jesus makes a comment which would have likely offended any Jewish listener who understood it. Jesus has claimed to be "the door," meaning that He alone is how people are reconciled to God. Some are part of "His" flock, and some are not. Jewish people were more than comfortable with the idea of God preferring a certain group; their national identity was as God's chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). But now Jesus speaks about "other sheep," not part of the current fold, which He plans to bring together to be united under a single shepherd.

This is a reference to the Gentiles—the non-Jewish nations—and their acceptance by God through the ministry of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:6). For many Jews, this was a major obstacle to belief, even within the Christian community after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 11:1–18). "This fold," as Jesus means it here, is the nation of Israel. There are sheep that belong to Christ and yet are not of that group. These are the Gentile people who will come to faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:27–29).

John 10:1–21 continues directly from Jesus' clash with local religious leaders after giving sight to a man born blind (John 9). Jesus' references to shepherds and shepherding are pointed barbs at these hypocritical, self-serving figures. Jesus creates three separate metaphors here. These are not meant to be understood as a single analogy. The first comes in verses 1 through 6, the second in verses 7 through 9, and the third in verses 10 through 18. In doing so, Jesus explains how He differs from the corrupt leaders He confronts. He also delivers His third and fourth ''I am'' statements, out of seven in this gospel.

This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him. He declares Himself the only means of salvation. He again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in a way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.

Starting in chapter 7, the gospel of John describes Jesus' preaching at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Through chapters 7 and 8, He debates with critics and attempts to explain spiritual truths. On the way out of the city, Jesus gives sight to a man born blind, as shown in chapter 9. That begins an extended debate which continues in this chapter. Jesus gives analogies of His mission using shepherding as a theme. Months later, He repeats those ideas when cornered by an aggressive mob in the temple. This sets the stage for His grandest miracle, the raising of Lazarus, seen in chapter 11.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.