John 10

1 By the similitude of the properties of a faithfull shepheard,Christ sheweth that he is the true shepheard of his sheep,7 as also the true door of the sheep-fold,12 and no hireling;14 Seeing e willingly laies down his life for his sheep.19 About which the Jews contested one amongst another.22 Christ being at Jerusalem on the feast of the renewing of the Temple,is compassed about by the Jews and asked whether he be the Christ,25 which he testifieth and proveth by his works.26 Saith that they believe not in him,because they are not his sheep,27but that his sheep believe in him,and that they are by him and his Father kept unto eternal life.31 The Jews would have stoned him as a blasphemer,34 but he defendeth himself by the Scripture and by his works,that he did rightly call himself the Son of God,39 and escapeth out of their hands,departing from Jordan.

1. Verily,verily,I say unto you,he thhat entrethh not by thhe door [That is,by a lawful and divine calling,accompanied withh the doctrine of truth,Gal.1.8,9. Heb.5.4.] into the fold of the sheep,but climbeth in from elsewhere,[thhat is,by unlawful means intrudes hhimself into the Church of Ggod,or bringethh in false doctrine Jer.23.21. 2 John 10.] hhe is a thief, [That is,hhe doth like thieves and murderers,who do not come to keep the sheep,but

2. But he that entreth by the door is a shepheard of the sheep.[That is,a true and honest shepheard.]

3. To him the door- keepeth openeth,[That is,him the Lord God by his spirit maketh a shepheard for his sheep,assures him thereof,and blesseth his ministry,Isa.61.1. Acts.13.2 and chap.20.28.] and the sheep bear his voice, [that is,obey and follow his doctrine,] and he calleth his sheep by name,[that is,each in particular,2.Tim.2.19.] and leadeth them out. [namely, into good pasture.]

4. And when he hath driven forth his sheep,he goethh his way before them,[Namely,with a good conduct in doctrine and life,to shew them the right way,to turn away dangers from them. [Heb.12.2.] and the sheep follow him; forasmuch as they know his voice.[that is,discern,namely by the spirit of discretion 1 Cor.2.15.]

5. But a stranger they will by no means follow; but will flee from him: forasmuch as they know not the voice of strangers.

6. This similitude [Gr Paremia i.e parable whereof see Matt.13.3.] spake Jesus unto them: but thhey understood not what it was,[that is,what Christ means by this similitude.Therefore he more clealy expounded the same unto them in that which followes] that he spake unto them.

7. Then said Jesus again unto thhem,verily,verily,i say unto you,i am the door of the sheepe,[Namely through which as well the shepheards as the sheep,must enter into the Church and into life,John 14:6.]

8. All as many come before me,[Namely, either giving themselves out of this door,or shewing another entrance into salvation,Acts 4:12.] are theeves and murderer;but the sheep [that is,the elect and true children of God] did not hear them

9. I am the door: if any man enter by me,he shall be saved:and he shall go in and go out,[That is,live in communion with me with a quiet conscince,Deut.28.6. Psalm.121.6.7,8.] and finde pasture.[That is spirituall food for the soule Ezek.34.14.]

10. The thief cometh not [Namely,to the sheepfold] but that he may steal,and kill and destroy: i am come that they may have life, and may have abundance.[namely, of grace and glory,here and hereafter,John.1.16. 2 Pet.1.3,4.]

11. I am the good shepheard,[Namelybefore promised by God Ezek.34.23. Zach.13.17. and elsewhere.Before he called himself the door,here he calleth himself the shepheard:both agree very well to him in divers respects the good shepheard laies down his life,[Gr.soule] for the sheep.

12. But the hireling [That is,he that keepeth the sheep,looking only or principally at the temporall reward , and not at the safety welfare of the sheep Ezek.34.2.3,8.] and he that is no shepheard whose own the sheep are not,seeth the wolf come,and leaveth the sheep and fleeth ;and the wolf taketh them and scatterth the sheep.

13. And the hireling fleeth ,forasmuch as he is an hireling,and taketh no care for the sheep. [That is,careth more for himself then for the sheep.]

14. I am the good shepheard and i know mine,[Namely sheep,that is,elect believers] and am known of mine.

15. Like as the father knoweth me,(so) know i also tht Father [Or and i know the Father] and i lay down my life for the sheep. [Gr.lay down my soul,i.e. shall shortly give up my life unto death for them, Matthew 20:28.]

16. I have yet other sheep [Namely,the elect of the Gentiles] which are not of this fold [namely, of the Jewish Church, John 11:51,52.] these also must i bring unto (it) and they shall be near my voice, [that is, doctrine held forth unto them by the Apostles, and other faithhfull Ministers of the word] and it shall become one flock [that is,one Chhurch consisting both Jews and Gentiles.Ephes 2,v.13.14.] (and) one Shepheard.

17. Therefore the Father loveth me, forasmuch as i lay down my life,that i may take the same again.

18. No man taketh the same from me,[Namely,against my will] but i lay it down of myself: [that is,willingly,Psalms 40:9. Heb.10.10.] i have power to lay down the same,and have power to take the same again. [that is,to raise myself up again from the dead,by my devine power,John 2.v19.] This commandement have received of my father.

19. Therefore there was again division among the Jews,because of these words.

20. And many of them said,he hath the Devil [Or an unclean spirit] and is distracted,why bear ye him?

21. Others said these are no words of one that is proffessed; can a devil open the eyes of the blinde?

22. And it was the feast of the renewing of the Temple at Jerusalem, [Gr. Enkainia,which was a feast instituted by Judas Machabeus and the Jews,in remebrance of the renewing of Altar and the purging of the Temple,in the time of King Antiochus,who had defiled the Temple and worship of God, to be kept yearly for eight daies together.see hereof 1 Machab.4.59.] and it was winter. [for this feast began from the five and twentieth day of the moneth Cisleu,which for the most part answers to our December.]

23. And Jesus walked in the Temple,in the Porch,[Gr.Gallery,or walk] of Salomon.[that is, which was built about this second Temple,in the same manner and place,as,and where Salomon had built a Gallery about the first Temple,in which the people used to walk.See 1 Kin.6.3. Acts 3:11. and Joseph. Antiq.lib.8.cap.2.]

24. Then the Jews compassed him about,and said unto him,how long dost thou suspend our soul?[Gr.take it i.e. hold it in doubt who thou art] if thou be the Christ tell us plainly:

25. Jesus answered them,i have told you,[Namely who i am] and ye believe it not.The works that i do in the name of my father,they testifie of me;

26. But ye believe not,for ye are not of [Gr,out of] my sheep, [that is,of the elect,which the Father hath given me] as i said unto you.

27. My sheep hear my voice and i know the same and they follow me.

28. And i give unto them eternal life,and they shall never perish,and no man shall pluck the same out of my hand. [That is power and keeping,Psa.31.6.]

29. My Father who gave them me is greater [That is,mightier]then all,and no man can pluck them out of my Fathers hand.

30. I and the father are one.[Namely,in essence and power,as Christs reason cleerly imports,and the Jews so understood it,v.33 and Christ himself more plainly declares,v.36.]

31. Then the Jews took up [Gr.carried] stones again, [namely,the second time,as before John 8:59.]to stone him.

32. Jesus answered tem,i have shewed you,[Namely,before your eyes and for your good] many excellent [Gr.fair,good,glorious] works from my father:for which work of these do ye stone me.

33. The Jews answered him saying,we stone thee not for (any) good work,but for blasphemy,[Namely,which God hath commanded to be punished with stoning,Levit.24.16.] and because thou being a man,makest thyself God.[namely,because thou saist,that thou art one with the father.]

34. Jesus answered them is it not written in your Law,[That is,in the holy scripture of the Old Testament,which ye hold for Gods word,] i have said ye are Gods.

35. If (the Law ) called them Gods, to whom the word of God came,[or towards whom.See the 82.Psalm,]and the scripture cannot be broken,[unbound or loosed i.e. loose its power and truth.]

36. Say (ye to me,) whom the Father hath sanctified,[That is,whom the Father hath seperated and ordained for a Mediator and King of the Church;which office cannot be assumed nor executed by any meere creature:but only by the eternall sun of God,Isa.9.5,6. Jer.23.5,6.] and sent into the world,[namely to assume the humane nature for that end,Phil.2.ver.6.7.]thou blasphemeth, because i said,i am the son of God?

37. If i do not the works of my Father,[That is, the same miraculous works which God my Father doth] believe me not:

38. But if i do them,and if ye believe not me,believe the works:that you may know and believe,that the Father is in me,[That is,that i and the Father are one,as ver.30.] and i in him.

39. Therfore they sought again to apprehend him,and he escaped out of their hand,[Namely,as he had done at other times before,because his hour was not yet come,See John 7:30. and chap.8.59.]

40. And he went again beyond Jordan,unto the place where John First babtized,[That is,in Bethabara,where Christ was also babtized him,See John 1:28.] and he abode there.

41. And many came unto him and said,[Namely,one to another] John indeed did no sign:but all that John said of this (man) was true.

42. And many there beleeved in him.