God’s Word Translation
John 10:11
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
John 10:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
- New International Version (NIV)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
Context of John 10:11
9I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. 10A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. 13The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep.
Read all of John 10John 10:11 word by word
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός· ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for John 10:11
- John 10:14“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me. My sheep know me as I know the Father.
- Psalms 23:1The Lord is my shepherd. I am never in need.
- Psalms 80:1Open your ears, O Shepherd of Israel, the one who leads ⌞the descendants of⌟ Joseph like sheep, the one who is enthroned over the angels.
- Isaiah 40:11Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them in his arms. He gently helps the sheep and their lambs.
- Ezekiel 34:12As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them on a cloudy and gloomy day from every place where they have been scattered.
- Ezekiel 37:24“ ‘My servant David will be their king, and all of them will have one shepherd. They will live by my rules, and they will obey my laws.
- Micah 5:4The child will become the shepherd of his flock. ⌞He will lead them⌟ with the strength of the Lord, with the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live in safety because his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.
- Zechariah 13:7“Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my friend,” declares the Lord of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Then I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
- Hebrews 13:20The God of peace brought the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, back to life through the blood of an eternal promise.
- 1 Peter 2:25You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop of your lives.
- 1 Peter 5:4Then, when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
- Genesis 31:39I never brought you any of the flock that was killed by wild animals. I paid for the loss myself. That’s what you demanded of me when any of the flock was stolen during the day or at night.
- 1 Samuel 17:34David replied to Saul, “I am a shepherd for my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
- 2 Samuel 24:17When David saw the Messenger who had been killing the people, he said to the Lord, “I’ve sinned. I’ve done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father’s family.”
- Isaiah 53:6We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the Lord has laid all our sins on him.
- Ephesians 5:2Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave his life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God.
Commentaries on John 10:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11I am the good shepherd - Whose character is the very reverse of that which has already been described. In John 10:7, John 10:9, our Lord had called himself the door of the sheep, as being the sole way to glory, and entrance into eternal life; here he changes the thought, and calls himself the shepherd, because of what he was to do for them that believe in him, in order to prepare them for eternal glory. Giveth his life for the sheep - That is, gives up…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11The good shepherd - The faithful and true shepherd, willing to do all that is necessary to defend and save the flock. Giveth his life - A shepherd that regarded his flock would hazard his own life to defend them. When the wolf comes, he would still remain to protect them. To give his life, here, means the same as not to fly, or to forsake his flock; to be willing to expose his life, if necessary, to defend them. Compare Judges 12:3; “I put my life in my…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. 11-13Small villages often created communal flocks and employed a hired hand to tend the sheep. However, an employee lacked the commitment of a true shepherd. The wilderness of Judea had many predators. When a wolf or other predators attacked, the hired hand would run rather than defend the sheep. Jesus will never do this; he will always stand between his sheep and danger.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-147-14. I am the door of the sheep--that is, the way in to the fold, with all blessed privileges, both for shepherds and sheep (compare Joh 14:6; Ep 2:18).Read the comment
Topics related to John 10:11
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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