John 10:18

John 10:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
• New International Version (NIV)No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."
• New King James Version (NKJV)No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

Context of John 10:18

16I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become one flock with one Shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life so that I may take it back. No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father.” 19A division [of opinion] occurred again among the Jews because of these words [of His]. 20Many of them said, “He has a demon and He is mad [insane—He raves and rambles]. Why listen to Him?”

John 10:18 word by word

οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ. ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν· ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• No manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• takethαἴρωairō · to take upG142
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• layτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• myselfἐμαυτοῦemautou emautō emauton · myselfG1683
• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• powerἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to takeλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• commandmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• commandmentἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• ofπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962

Cross-references for John 10:18

• John 18:5They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus said, “I am He.” And Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them.
• John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who handed Me over to you is greater [than your own].”
• Matthew 26:53Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
• John 2:19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
• Isaiah 53:10Yet the Lord was willing To crush Him, causing Him to suffer; If He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand.
• Acts 2:24But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power.
• Acts 3:15But you killed the Prince (Author, Originator, Source) of life, whom God raised [bodily] from the dead. To this [fact] we are witnesses [for we have seen the risen Christ].
• Philippians 2:6who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];
• Hebrews 2:9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.
• John 6:38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
• John 14:31but so that the world may know [without any doubt] that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me [and act in full agreement with Him]. Get up, let us go from here.
• John 15:10If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
• Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them; You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word]; Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.
• Hebrews 5:6just as He also says in another place, “You are a priest [appointed] forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
• Hebrews 10:6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no delight.

Commentaries on John 10:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18I have power - Or, authority, . Our Lord speaks of himself here as man, or the Messiah, as being God's messenger, and sent upon earth to fulfill the Divine will, in dying and rising again for the salvation of men. This commandment have I received - That is, I act according to the Divine commandment in executing these things, and giving you this information.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18No man taketh it from me - That is, no one could take it by force, or unless I was willing to yield myself into his hands. He had power to preserve his life, as he showed by so often escaping from the Pharisees; he voluntarily went up to Jerusalem, knowing that he would die; he knew the approach of Judas to betray him; and he expressly told Pilate at his bar that he could have no power at all against him except it were given him by his Father, John 19:11…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-18Verses 10-18 Christ is a good Shepherd; many who were not thieves, yet were careless in their duty, and by their neglect the flock was much hurt. Bad principles are the root of bad practices. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand his life of him, he laid it down of himself for our redemption. He offered himself to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18No one takes it from Me: The death of the Son was voluntary. Jesus was not a helpless victim of events beyond his control. He chose to give his life freely in obedience and close relationship with the Father (see Acts 2:23–24). The resurrection of Jesus was not an afterthought or a rescue from failure. God cannot be confined by death or a tomb. Because Jesus and the Father are one, Jesus possessed the authority to rise from death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1815-18. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father--What claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed this? (See on Mt 11:27). and I lay down my life for the sheep--How sublime this, immediately following the lofty claim of the preceding clause! It is the riches and the poverty of "the Word made flesh"--one glorious Person reaching at once up to the Throne and down even to the dust of death, "that we might live through Him." A candid…Read the comment

Topics related to John 10:18

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Power

In the dictionaries

• Fold
• Lay
• Resurrection of Christ
• Sanctify
• Thief
• Authority in Religion
• Christ, Offices of
• Christ, the Exaltation of
• Commandment, the New
• Commandment; Commandments

Commentaries on John 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings