John 10:5

John 10:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
• English Standard Version (ESV)A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Context of John 10:5

3The 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. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

John 10:5 word by word

ἀλλοτρίῳ δὲ οὐ μὴ ἀκολουθήσουσιν ἀλλὰ φεύξονται ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδασιν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τὴν φωνήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• a strangerἀλλότριοςallotrios · another’sG245
• will theyἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• will fleeφεύγωpheugō · to fleeG5343
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• they knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• the voiceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• ·μήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for John 10:5

• 1 Kings 22:7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
• Proverbs 19:27Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
• Mark 4:24“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.
• Luke 8:18Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”
• Ephesians 4:11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
• Colossians 2:6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
• 2 Timothy 3:5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
• 2 Timothy 4:3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
• 1 Peter 2:1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
• 1 John 2:19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
• 1 John 4:5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
• Revelation 2:2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.

Commentaries on John 10:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And a stranger will they not follow - That is, a man who, pretending to be a shepherd of the flock of God, is a stranger to that salvation which he professes to preach. His mode of preaching soon proves, to those whose hearts are acquainted with the truths of God, that he is a stranger to them; and therefore, knowing him to have got into the fold in an improper way, they consider him a thief, a robber, and a murderer; and who can blame them if they wholly…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5A stranger … - This was literally true of a flock. Accustomed to the voice and presence of a kind shepherd, they would not regard the command of a stranger. It is also true spiritually. Jesus by this indicates that the true people of God will not follow false teachers - those who are proud, haughty, and self-seeking, as were the Pharisees. Many may follow such, but humble and devoted Christians seek those who have the mild and self-denying spirit of their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-21This illustration of a shepherd and his sheep comes from a Middle Eastern perspective of shepherding and Old Testament traditions in first-century AD Jewish culture. God was the shepherd of Israel (Genesis 49:24; Psalms 23; 78:52–53; Isaiah 40:10–11). Spiritual and political leaders of Israel were also shepherds of God’s people, the flock of God (Isaiah 56:9–12; Jeremiah 23:1–4; Ezekiel 34). Jesus spoke these words during the Feast of Dedication (see John…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 10:5

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Righteous
• Sheep
• Shepherd

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