John 10:4

John 10:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
• New International Version (NIV)When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

Context of John 10:4

2But the shepherd goes in through the gate. 3The person who watches the gate opens it for the shepherd. The sheep recognize the shepherd's voice. He calls each of his own sheep by their name and he leads them out. When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes in front of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger. They will run away from a stranger because they do not recognize his voice.’ 6Jesus told this story like a picture to teach the people. But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

John 10:4 word by word

ὅταν τὰ ἴδια πάντα ἐκβάλῃ, ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν πορεύεται, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα αὐτῷ ἀκολουθεῖ, ὅτι οἴδασιν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• he putteth forthἐκβάλλωekballō · to expelG1544
• his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• sheepπρόβατονprobaton · sheepG4263
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• goethπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
• before themἔμπροσθενemprosthen · beforeG1715
• the sheepὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• followἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• they knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456

Cross-references for John 10:4

• John 12:26Anyone who wants to be my servant must follow me. Then he will be with me, where I am. My Father will praise anyone who is my servant.
• John 13:15I have given you an example. You should do the same for others as I have done for you.
• John 14:2There are many rooms in my Father's house. I will go now so that I can prepare a place for you there. If it was not true, I would not have told you this.
• Deuteronomy 1:30The Lord your God will go in front of you. He will fight to help you, as he fought for you in Egypt. You saw him do it.
• Micah 2:12‘You people of Israel, I promise to bring all of you together. I will bring back together all Israel's people who remain. I will put all of you together like sheep in a field with a wall round it. You will be like a field full of sheep. There will be a loud noise because there will be so many of you.
• Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• 1 Corinthians 11:1Copy my example, in the same way that I copy Christ's example.
• Ephesians 5:1You are God's children and he loves you very much. So you must try to be like him.
• Philippians 2:5You should think about things in the same way that Christ Jesus thought:
• Hebrews 6:20Jesus has already gone in there. He has gone there before us, on our behalf. He has become our special priest for ever, in the same way that Melchizedek was God's priest.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
• 1 Peter 2:21When God chose you to be his servants, he wanted you to be brave like that. Christ had trouble and pain on your behalf. He has shown you how you should live when trouble comes.
• 1 Peter 4:1Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his human body. So you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too. Think about it in the same way that Christ did. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he stops doing wrong things.
• 1 Peter 5:3God has given you a group of believers to take care of them. Do not try to rule over them with power. Instead, show them how to live in a good way, so that they can copy you.
• John 10:8All other men who came before me were like robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them.
• John 3:29When a man marries a wife, she belongs to him. The man's special friend listens carefully. He wants to know when the man will arrive. That friend is very happy when he hears the man's voice. I am like that friend, so I am completely happy now.

Commentaries on John 10:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4He 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 fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of peace. He who does not endeavor to realize in his own soul the truths which he preaches to others will soon be as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4He 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.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4A good shepherd goes ahead of the sheep and leads them. He does not force them from behind. When the sheep recognize his voice, they trust him and follow.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-21This discourse seems plainly to be a continuation of the closing verses of the ninth chapter. The figure was familiar to the Jewish ear (from Jr 23:1-40; Eze 34:1-31; Zec 11:1-17, &c.). "This simple creature [the sheep] has this special note among all animals, that it quickly hears the voice of the shepherd, follows no one else, depends entirely on him, and seeks help from him alone--cannot help itself, but is shut up to another's aid" [Luther in Stier]…Read the comment

Topics related to John 10:4

• Character
• God Continued...
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Righteous
• Sheep
• Shepherd
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Fold
• Lay
• Parable
• Sanctify
• Sheep
• Thief
• Allegory
• God
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of

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