Jesus described Himself as a passageway (cf. John 14:6). His sheep could enter and leave the sheepfold through Him. Obviously the sheepfold here does not refer to Israel as it did previously ( John 10:1-5). People could not go in and out of Judaism at will through Jesus. It probably represents the security that God provides, and the pasture outside stands for what sustains their spiritual health and growth. Jesus provides for His people"s security needs and for all of their daily needs24hours a day. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
John 10:7-18 - Jesus The Good Shepherd
He who came in by the door which John the Baptist opened has become the door. It stands open to all comers-if any man. The salvation here mentioned refers to the entire process of soul-health: go in for fellowship; go out for service.
Wherever destruction is uppermost in speech or act, you may detect the presence of the great enemy of souls. Christ is ever constructive, saving, life-giving. Let us not be content until our life has become abundant life. Our life cost the Shepherd's life. He did not hesitate to interpose Himself between the sheep and the wolf of hell. There is possible between our Lord and ourselves an intimacy of knowledge which can be compared to nothing less than that which subsists between the Father and Himself.
Note how our Lord looked beyond the hurdles of the Jewish fold and thought tenderly of the Gentile sheep that were far away. In the revelation committed to the Apostle Paul He gave vent to His love, and through the succeeding centuries He has ever sought them. There may be many folds, but there can be only one flock. Men die because they cannot help it; Christ was born that He might die; He died because He would. [source]
Chapter Summary: John 10
1Jesus is the door, and the good shepherd 19Diverse opinions of him 23He proves by his works that he is Jesus the Son of God; 31escapes the Jews; 39and goes again beyond Jordan, where many believe on him
Greek Commentary for John 10:9
The door [η τυρα] Repeated from John 10:7. By me if any man enter in Condition of third class with εαν ean and second aorist active subjunctive of εισερχομαι eiserchomai Note proleptic and emphatic position of δι εμου di' emou One can call this narrow intolerance, if he will, but it is the narrowness of truth. If Jesus is the Son of God sent to earth for our salvation, he is the only way. He had already said it in John 5:23. He will say it again more sharply in John 14:6. It is unpalatable to the religious dogmatists before him as it is to the liberal dogmatists today. Jesus offers the open door to “any one” He shall be saved Future passive of σωζω sōzō the great word for salvation, from σως sōs safe and sound. The sheep that comes into the fold through Jesus as the door will be safe from thieves and robbers for one thing. He will have entrance Future (linear future) indicative of ευρισκω heuriskō old word from νεμω nemō to pasture. In N.T. only here and 2 Timothy 2:17 (in sense of growth). This same phrase occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:40. The shepherd leads the sheep to pasture, but this phrase pictures the joy of the sheep in the pasture provided by the shepherd. [source]
John 10:7Therefore again [ουν παλιν] Jesus repeats the allegory with more detail and with more directness of application. Repeating a story is not usually an exhilarating experience. I am the door of the sheep The door for the sheep by which they enter. “He is the legitimate door of access to the spiritual αυλη aulē the Fold of the House of Israel, the door by which a true shepherd must enter” (Bernard). He repeats it in John 10:9. This is a new idea, not in the previous story (John 10:1-5). Moffatt follows the Sahidic in accepting ο ποιμην ho poimēn here instead of η τυρα hē thura clearly whimsical. Jesus simply changes the metaphor to make it plainer. They were doubtless puzzled by the meaning of the door in John 10:1. Once more, this metaphor should help those who insist on the literal meaning of bread as the actual body of Christ in Mark 14:22. Jesus is not a physical “door,” but he is the only way of entrance into the Kingdom of God (John 14:6). [source]
John 6:35I am the bread of life [Εγω ειμι ο αρτος της ζωης] This sublime sentence was startling in the extreme to the crowd. Philo does compare the manna to the τειος λογος theios logos in an allegorical sense, but this language is far removed from Philo‘s vagueness. In the Synoptics (Mark 14:22; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:19) Jesus uses bread He is the bread of life in two senses: it has life in itself, the living bread (John 6:51), and it gives life to others like the water of life, the tree of life. John often has Jesus saying “I am” As also in John 6:41,John 6:48,John 6:51; John 8:12; John 10:7,John 10:9,John 10:11,John 10:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 15:1,John 15:5. He that cometh to me The first act of the soul in approaching Jesus. See also John 6:37. Shall not hunger Strong double negative ου με ou me with first aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive, “shall not become hungry.” He that believeth on me The continuous relation of trust after coming like πιστευητε pisteuēte (present tense) in John 6:29. See both verbs used together also in John 7:37. Shall never thirst So the old MSS. the future active indicative instead of the aorist subjunctive as above, an even stronger form of negation with πωποτε pōpote (John 1:18) added. [source]
1 Timothy 4:16And to the teaching [και τηι διδασκαλιαι] This is important also. Continue in these things (επιμενε αυτοις epimene autois). Present active imperative of επιμενω epimenō old and common verb to stay by the side of a person or thing. See note on Romans 6:1; Colossians 1:23. “Stay by them,” “stick to them,” “see them through.” “Stick to the business of framing your own life and your teaching on right lines” (Parry). Thou shalt save Future active of σωζω sōzō effective future, finally save. Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27; John 10:9. [source]
2 Timothy 2:17Will eat [νομὴν ἕξει] Lit. will have pasturage, and so grow. Νομὴ πυρός aspreading of fire: a sore is said νομὴν ποιεῖσθαι tospread. Comp. Acts 4:17, διανεμηθῇ spreadof the influence of the miracle of Peter, from the same root, νέμειν todistribute or divide; often of herdsmen, to pasture. Νομὴ only here and John 10:9[source]
2 Timothy 2:17Will eat [νομην εχει] “Will have (future active of εχω echō) pasturage or increase” (νομη nomē old word from νεμω nemō to pasture, in N.T. only here and John 10:9). [source]
What do the individual words in John 10:9 mean?
IamthedoorbyMeifanyoneenters inhe will be savedandhe will go inwill go outpasturewill find
Greek Commentary for John 10:9
Repeated from John 10:7. By me if any man enter in Condition of third class with εαν ean and second aorist active subjunctive of εισερχομαι eiserchomai Note proleptic and emphatic position of δι εμου di' emou One can call this narrow intolerance, if he will, but it is the narrowness of truth. If Jesus is the Son of God sent to earth for our salvation, he is the only way. He had already said it in John 5:23. He will say it again more sharply in John 14:6. It is unpalatable to the religious dogmatists before him as it is to the liberal dogmatists today. Jesus offers the open door to “any one” He shall be saved Future passive of σωζω sōzō the great word for salvation, from σως sōs safe and sound. The sheep that comes into the fold through Jesus as the door will be safe from thieves and robbers for one thing. He will have entrance Future (linear future) indicative of ευρισκω heuriskō old word from νεμω nemō to pasture. In N.T. only here and 2 Timothy 2:17 (in sense of growth). This same phrase occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:40. The shepherd leads the sheep to pasture, but this phrase pictures the joy of the sheep in the pasture provided by the shepherd. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 10:9
A form of expression peculiar to John. See John 6:41, John 6:48, John 6:51; John 8:12; John 10:7, John 10:9, John 10:11, John 10:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 15:1, John 15:5. [source]
Jesus repeats the allegory with more detail and with more directness of application. Repeating a story is not usually an exhilarating experience. I am the door of the sheep The door for the sheep by which they enter. “He is the legitimate door of access to the spiritual αυλη aulē the Fold of the House of Israel, the door by which a true shepherd must enter” (Bernard). He repeats it in John 10:9. This is a new idea, not in the previous story (John 10:1-5). Moffatt follows the Sahidic in accepting ο ποιμην ho poimēn here instead of η τυρα hē thura clearly whimsical. Jesus simply changes the metaphor to make it plainer. They were doubtless puzzled by the meaning of the door in John 10:1. Once more, this metaphor should help those who insist on the literal meaning of bread as the actual body of Christ in Mark 14:22. Jesus is not a physical “door,” but he is the only way of entrance into the Kingdom of God (John 14:6). [source]
This sublime sentence was startling in the extreme to the crowd. Philo does compare the manna to the τειος λογος theios logos in an allegorical sense, but this language is far removed from Philo‘s vagueness. In the Synoptics (Mark 14:22; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:19) Jesus uses bread He is the bread of life in two senses: it has life in itself, the living bread (John 6:51), and it gives life to others like the water of life, the tree of life. John often has Jesus saying “I am” As also in John 6:41, John 6:48, John 6:51; John 8:12; John 10:7, John 10:9, John 10:11, John 10:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 15:1, John 15:5. He that cometh to me The first act of the soul in approaching Jesus. See also John 6:37. Shall not hunger Strong double negative ου με ou me with first aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive, “shall not become hungry.” He that believeth on me The continuous relation of trust after coming like πιστευητε pisteuēte (present tense) in John 6:29. See both verbs used together also in John 7:37. Shall never thirst So the old MSS. the future active indicative instead of the aorist subjunctive as above, an even stronger form of negation with πωποτε pōpote (John 1:18) added. [source]
An expression for constant intercourse. Compare Deuteronomy 18:19; Psalm 121:8; John 10:9; Acts 9:28. [source]
This is important also. Continue in these things (επιμενε αυτοις epimene autois). Present active imperative of επιμενω epimenō old and common verb to stay by the side of a person or thing. See note on Romans 6:1; Colossians 1:23. “Stay by them,” “stick to them,” “see them through.” “Stick to the business of framing your own life and your teaching on right lines” (Parry). Thou shalt save Future active of σωζω sōzō effective future, finally save. Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27; John 10:9. [source]
Future active of σωζω sōzō effective future, finally save. Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27; John 10:9. [source]
Lit. will have pasturage, and so grow. Νομὴ πυρός aspreading of fire: a sore is said νομὴν ποιεῖσθαι tospread. Comp. Acts 4:17, διανεμηθῇ spreadof the influence of the miracle of Peter, from the same root, νέμειν todistribute or divide; often of herdsmen, to pasture. Νομὴ only here and John 10:9 [source]
“Will have (future active of εχω echō) pasturage or increase” (νομη nomē old word from νεμω nemō to pasture, in N.T. only here and John 10:9). [source]