John 10:3

John 10:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
• English Standard Version (ESV)To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
• New King James Version (NKJV)To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Context of John 10:3

1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

John 10:3 word by word

τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα φωνεῖ κατ᾽ ὄνομα καὶ ἐξάγει αὐτά.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• To himοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• the porterὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the porterθυρωρόςthurōros · gatekeeperG2377
• openethἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the sheepπρόβατονprobaton · sheepG4263
• hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• he callethκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• his ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• byκατάkata · according toG2596
• nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• leadethἐξάγωexagō · to lead outG1806

Cross-references for John 10:3

• Isaiah 53:10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
• 1 Corinthians 16:9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
• Colossians 4:3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
• 1 Peter 1:12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
• Revelation 3:7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
• John 10:4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
• John 6:37All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
• John 10:14“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
• Exodus 33:17And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
• Romans 8:30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
• Philippians 4:3Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
• 2 Timothy 2:19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
• Revelation 20:15Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
• Psalms 23:2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
• Psalms 78:52But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
• Psalms 80:1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

Commentaries on John 10:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3To him the porter openeth - Sir Isaac Newton observes that our Lord being near the temple, where sheep were kept in folds to be sold for sacrifices, spoke many things parabolically of sheep, of their shepherds, and of the door to the sheepfold; and discovers that he alluded to the sheepfolds which were to be hired in the market place, by speaking of such folds as a thief could not enter by the door, nor the shepherd himself open, but a porter opened to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3To him the porter openeth - The porter is the doorkeeper. It seems that the more wealthy Jews who owned flocks employed some person to take charge of the flock. At first all shepherds attended their flocks personally by day and by night, and this continued to be commonly the practice, but not always. The sheep hear his voice - The voice of the shepherd. A flock will readily discern the well-known voice of one who is accustomed to attend them. The meaning…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3the sheep listen for his voice: The Middle Eastern shepherd is well known for having intimate knowledge of the sheep. Sheep are led with flute tunes, songs, or verbal commands.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. To him the porter openeth--that is, right of free access is given, by order of Him to whom the sheep belong; for it is better not to give the allusion a more specific interpretation [Calvin, Meyer, Luthardt]. and the sheep hear his voice--This and all that follows, though it admits of important application to every faithful shepherd of God's flock, is in its direct and highest sense true only of "the great Shepherd of the sheep," who in the first five…Read the comment

Topics related to John 10:3

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

In the dictionaries

• Fold
• Lay
• Parable
• Sanctify
• Sheep
• Thief
• Allegory
• Doorkeeper
• God
• Jesus Christ

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