Yohanes 9:1--10:42
Konteks9:1 Now as Jesus was passing by, 1 he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 9:2 His disciples asked him, 2 “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man 3 or his parents?” 4 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man 5 nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that 6 the acts 7 of God may be revealed 8 through what happens to him. 9 9:4 We must perform the deeds 10 of the one who sent me 11 as long as 12 it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 13 9:6 Having said this, 14 he spat on the ground and made some mud 15 with the saliva. He 16 smeared the mud on the blind man’s 17 eyes 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” 18 (which is translated “sent”). 19 So the blind man 20 went away and washed, and came back seeing.
9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously 21 as a beggar began saying, 22 “Is this not the man 23 who used to sit and beg?” 9:9 Some people said, 24 “This is the man!” 25 while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” 26 The man himself 27 kept insisting, “I am the one!” 28 9:10 So they asked him, 29 “How then were you made to see?” 30 9:11 He replied, 31 “The man called Jesus made mud, 32 smeared it 33 on my eyes and told me, 34 ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” 35 9:12 They said 36 to him, “Where is that man?” 37 He replied, 38 “I don’t know.”
9:13 They brought the man who used to be blind 39 to the Pharisees. 40 9:14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud 41 and caused him to see 42 was a Sabbath.) 43 9:15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. 44 He replied, 45 “He put mud 46 on my eyes and I washed, and now 47 I am able to see.”
9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, 48 “This man is not from God, because he does not observe 49 the Sabbath.” 50 But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform 51 such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division 52 among them. 9:17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, 53 “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” 54 “He is a prophet,” the man replied. 55
9:18 Now the Jewish religious leaders 56 refused to believe 57 that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned 58 the parents of the man who had become able to see. 59 9:19 They asked the parents, 60 “Is this your son, whom you say 61 was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 9:20 So his parents replied, 62 “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. 63 Ask him, he is a mature adult. 64 He will speak for himself.” 9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. 65 For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus 66 to be the Christ 67 would be put out 68 of the synagogue. 69 9:23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, 70 ask him.”) 71
9:24 Then they summoned 72 the man who used to be blind 73 a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. 74 We know that this man 75 is a sinner.” 9:25 He replied, 76 “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.” 9:26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” 77 9:27 He answered, 78 “I told you already and you didn’t listen. 79 Why do you want to hear it 80 again? You people 81 don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
9:28 They 82 heaped insults 83 on him, saying, 84 “You are his disciple! 85 We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man 86 comes from!” 9:30 The man replied, 87 “This is a remarkable thing, 88 that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 89 9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to 90 sinners, but if anyone is devout 91 and does his will, God 92 listens to 93 him. 94 9:32 Never before 95 has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 96 9:33 If this man 97 were not from God, he could do nothing.” 9:34 They replied, 98 “You were born completely in sinfulness, 99 and yet you presume to teach us?” 100 So they threw him out.
9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man 101 and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 102 9:36 The man 103 replied, 104 “And who is he, sir, that 105 I may believe in him?” 9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he 106 is the one speaking with you.” 107 9:38 [He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 108 9:39 Jesus 109 said,] 110 “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, 111 and the ones who see may become blind.”
9:40 Some of the Pharisees 112 who were with him heard this 113 and asked him, 114 “We are not blind too, are we?” 115 9:41 Jesus replied, 116 “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, 117 but now because you claim that you can see, 118 your guilt 119 remains.” 120
10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, 121 the one who does not enter the sheepfold 122 by the door, 123 but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 10:2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The doorkeeper 124 opens the door 125 for him, 126 and the sheep hear his voice. He 127 calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 128 10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep 129 out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize 130 his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, 131 but will run away from him, because they do not recognize 132 the stranger’s voice.” 133 10:6 Jesus told them this parable, 134 but they 135 did not understand 136 what he was saying to them.
10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, 137 I am the door for the sheep. 138 10:8 All who came before me were 139 thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 140 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, 141 and find pasture. 142 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill 143 and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 144
10:11 “I am the good 145 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life 146 for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, 147 who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons 148 the sheep and runs away. 149 So the wolf attacks 150 the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, 151 he runs away. 152
10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I 153 know my own 154 and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life 155 for 156 the sheep. 10:16 I have 157 other sheep that do not come from 158 this sheepfold. 159 I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, 160 so that 161 there will be one flock and 162 one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me 163 – because I lay down my life, 164 so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down 165 of my own free will. 166 I have the authority 167 to lay it down, and I have the authority 168 to take it back again. This commandment 169 I received from my Father.”
10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people 170 because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! 171 Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words 172 of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, 173 can it?” 174
10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication 175 in Jerusalem. 176 10:23 It was winter, 177 and Jesus was walking in the temple area 178 in Solomon’s Portico. 179 10:24 The Jewish leaders 180 surrounded him and asked, 181 “How long will you keep us in suspense? 182 If you are the Christ, 183 tell us plainly.” 184 10:25 Jesus replied, 185 “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds 186 I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 10:26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give 187 them eternal life, and they will never perish; 188 no one will snatch 189 them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, 190 and no one can snatch 191 them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I 192 are one.” 193
10:31 The Jewish leaders 194 picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them, 195 “I have shown you many good deeds 196 from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders 197 replied, 198 “We are not going to stone you for a good deed 199 but for blasphemy, 200 because 201 you, a man, are claiming to be God.” 202
10:34 Jesus answered, 203 “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 204 10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 205 10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart 206 and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform 207 the deeds 208 of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, 209 so that you may come to know 210 and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then 211 they attempted 212 again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 213
10:40 Jesus 214 went back across the Jordan River 215 again to the place where John 216 had been baptizing at an earlier time, 217 and he stayed there. 10:41 Many 218 came to him and began to say, “John 219 performed 220 no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man 221 was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus 222 there.
[9:1] 1 tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances.
[9:1] sn Since there is no break with chap. 8, Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. 9 fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). But in the author’s narrative the connection exists – the incident recorded in chap. 9 (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12, I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. 9 is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind (Exod 4:11, Ps 146:8). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18, 35:5, 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.
[9:2] 2 tn Grk “asked him, saying.”
[9:2] 4 tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”
[9:2] sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.
[9:3] 6 tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”
[9:3] 7 tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”
[9:3] 8 tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”
[9:4] 10 tn Grk “We must work the works.”
[9:4] 11 tn Or “of him who sent me” (God).
[9:5] 13 sn Jesus’ statement I am the light of the world connects the present account with 8:12. Here (seen more clearly than at 8:12) it is obvious what the author sees as the significance of Jesus’ statement. “Light” is not a metaphysical definition of the person of Jesus but a description of his effect on the world, forcing everyone in the world to ‘choose up sides’ for or against him (cf. 3:19-21).
[9:6] 14 tn Grk “said these things.”
[9:6] 15 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency). The textual variant preserved in the Syriac text of Ephraem’s commentary on the Diatessaron (“he made eyes from his clay”) probably arose from the interpretation given by Irenaeus in Against Heresies: “that which the Artificer, the Word, had omitted to form in the womb, he then supplied in public.” This involves taking the clay as an allusion to Gen 2:7, which is very unlikely.
[9:6] 16 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.
[9:7] 18 tn The pool’s name in Hebrew is shiloah from the Hebrew verb “to send.” In Gen 49:10 the somewhat obscure shiloh was interpreted messianically by later Jewish tradition, and some have seen a lexical connection between the two names (although this is somewhat dubious). It is known, however, that it was from the pool of Siloam that the water which was poured out at the altar during the feast of Tabernacles was drawn.
[9:7] 19 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Why does he comment on the meaning of the name of the pool? Here, the significance is that the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the man born blind. The name of the pool is applicable to the man, but also to Jesus himself, who was sent from heaven.
[9:7] 20 tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:8] 22 tn An ingressive force (“began saying”) is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.
[9:9] 24 tn Grk “Others were saying.”
[9:9] 25 tn Grk “This is the one.”
[9:9] 26 tn Grk “No, but he is like him.”
[9:9] 27 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 29 tn Grk “So they were saying to him.”
[9:10] 30 tn Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:11] 31 tn Grk “That one answered.”
[9:11] 32 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:11] 33 tn Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.
[9:11] 34 tn Grk “said to me.”
[9:11] 35 tn Or “and I gained my sight.”
[9:12] 36 tn Grk “And they said.”
[9:12] 37 tn Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.
[9:13] 39 tn Grk “who was formerly blind.”
[9:13] 40 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[9:14] 41 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:14] 42 tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:14] 43 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[9:15] 44 tn Or “how he had become able to see.”
[9:15] sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).
[9:15] 45 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[9:15] 46 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:15] 47 tn The word “now” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man’s former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).
[9:16] 48 tn As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to say” or “started saying”).
[9:16] 49 tn Grk “he does not keep.”
[9:16] 50 sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.
[9:16] 52 tn Or “So there was discord.”
[9:17] 53 tn Grk “the blind man.”
[9:17] 54 tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:17] 55 tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”
[9:17] sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”
[9:18] 56 tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers mainly to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. References in this context to Pharisees and to the synagogue (v. 22) suggest an emphasis on the religious nature of the debate which is brought out by the translation “the Jewish religious leaders.”
[9:18] 57 tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”
[9:18] 58 tn Grk “they called.”
[9:18] 59 tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”
[9:19] 60 tn Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:19] 61 tn The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).
[9:20] 62 tn Grk “So his parents answered and said.”
[9:21] 63 tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:21] 64 tn Or “he is of age.”
[9:22] 65 tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.
[9:22] 66 tn Grk “confessed him.”
[9:22] 67 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[9:22] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[9:22] 68 tn Or “would be expelled from.”
[9:22] 69 sn This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and nonhistorical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[9:23] 70 tn Or “he is of age.”
[9:23] 71 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents’ response.
[9:24] 72 tn Grk “they called.”
[9:24] 73 tn Grk “who was blind.”
[9:24] 74 tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).
[9:24] 75 tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.
[9:25] 76 tn Grk “Then that one answered.”
[9:26] 77 tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:27] 78 tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[9:27] 79 tn Grk “you did not hear.”
[9:27] 80 tn “It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.
[9:27] 81 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[9:28] 82 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[9:28] 83 tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”
[9:28] 85 tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”
[9:29] 86 tn Grk “where this one.”
[9:30] 87 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
[9:30] 88 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
[9:30] 89 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:31] 90 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
[9:31] 92 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:32] 95 tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”
[9:32] 96 tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:34] 98 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”
[9:34] 99 tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.
[9:34] 100 tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”
[9:35] 101 tn Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:35] 102 tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) have θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (Ì66,75 א B D W sys) have ἀνθρώπου. Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου, but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου. The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.
[9:36] 104 tn Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”
[9:36] 105 tn Or “And who is he, sir? Tell me so that…” Some translations supply elliptical words like “Tell me” (NIV, NRSV) following the man’s initial question, but the shorter form given in the translation is clear enough.
[9:37] 107 tn The καί – καί (kai – kai) construction would normally be translated “both – and”: “You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you.” In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.
[9:38] 108 sn Assuming the authenticity of John 9:38-39a (see the tc note following the bracket in v. 39), the man’s response after Jesus’ statement of v. 37 is extremely significant: He worshiped Jesus. In the Johannine context the word would connote its full sense: This was something due God alone. Note also that Jesus did not prevent the man from doing this. The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. This would be the only place in John’s Gospel where anyone is said to have worshiped Jesus using this term. As such, it forms the climax of the story of the man born blind, but the uniqueness of the concept of worshiping Jesus at this point in John's narrative (which reaches its ultimate climax in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28) may suggest it is too early for such a response and it represents a later scribal addition.
[9:39] 109 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[9:39] 110 tc ‡ Some early and important witnesses (Ì75 א* W b sams ac2 mf) lack the words, “He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said,” (vv. 38-39a). This is weighty evidence for the omission of these words. It is difficult to overstate the value of Ì75 here, since it is the only currently available papyrus ms extant for the text of John 9:38-39. Further, א is an important and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other
[9:39] 111 tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”
[9:40] 112 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[9:40] 113 tn Grk “heard these things.”
[9:40] 114 tn Grk “and said to him.”
[9:40] 115 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).
[9:41] 116 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[9:41] 117 tn Grk “you would not have sin.”
[9:41] 118 tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”
[9:41] 120 sn Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and don’t understand these things?” In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one’s eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).
[10:1] 121 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:1] 122 sn There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus’ day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, αὐλή [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).
[10:3] 124 tn Or “porter” (British English).
[10:3] sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.
[10:3] 125 tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[10:3] 126 tn Grk “For this one.”
[10:3] 127 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[10:3] 128 sn He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.
[10:4] 129 tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[10:4] 130 tn Grk “because they know.”
[10:5] 131 tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”
[10:5] 133 tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”
[10:6] 134 sn A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word παροιμίαν (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where παραβολή (parabolh) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.
[10:6] 136 tn Or “comprehend.”
[10:7] 137 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:7] 138 tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”
[10:8] 139 tn Grk “are” (present tense).
[10:8] 140 tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”
[10:9] 141 tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eisercomai kai exercomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.
[10:9] 142 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
[10:10] 143 tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).
[10:10] 144 tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
[10:11] 145 tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).
[10:11] 146 tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”
[10:11] sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).
[10:12] 147 sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.
[10:12] 150 tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.
[10:13] 151 tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”
[10:13] 152 tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important
[10:14] 153 tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[10:14] 154 tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”
[10:15] 155 tn Or “I die willingly.”
[10:15] 156 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
[10:16] 157 tn Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[10:16] 158 tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”
[10:16] 159 sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world – not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.
[10:16] 160 tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”
[10:16] 161 tn Grk “voice, and.”
[10:16] 162 tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.
[10:17] 163 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
[10:17] 164 tn Or “die willingly.”
[10:18] 165 tn Or “give it up.”
[10:18] 166 tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.
[10:18] 167 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:18] 168 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:19] 170 tn Or perhaps “the Jewish religious leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase could be taken to refer to the Jewish religious leaders, since the Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40. However, in light of the charge about demon possession, which echoes 8:48, it is more likely that Jewish people in general (perhaps in Jerusalem, if that is understood to be the setting of the incident) are in view here.
[10:20] 171 tn Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.
[10:21] 172 tn Or “the sayings.”
[10:21] 173 tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[10:21] 174 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can it?”).
[10:22] 175 tn That is, Hanukkah or the ‘Festival of Lights.’ The Greek name for the feast, τὰ ἐγκαίνια (ta enkainia), literally means “renewal” and was used to translate Hanukkah which means “dedication.” The Greek noun, with its related verbs, was the standard term used in the LXX for the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle (Num 7:10-11), the altar of the temple of Solomon (1 Kgs 8:63; 2 Chr 7:5), and the altar of the second temple (Ezra 6:16). The word is thus connected with the consecration of all the houses of God in the history of the nation of Israel.
[10:22] sn The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164
[10:22] 176 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:23] 177 sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.
[10:23] 178 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[10:23] 179 tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
[10:23] sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.
[10:24] 180 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19.
[10:24] 181 tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.
[10:24] 182 tn Grk “How long will you take away our life?” (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις (thn yuchn Jhmwn airei") meaning “to keep in suspense” is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means “to annoy, bother.”
[10:24] 183 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[10:24] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[10:25] 185 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:25] 186 tn Or “the works.”
[10:28] 187 tn Grk “And I give.”
[10:28] 188 tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”
[10:28] 189 tn Or “no one will seize.”
[10:29] 190 tn Or “is superior to all.”
[10:29] 191 tn Or “no one can seize.”
[10:30] 192 tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.
[10:30] 193 tn The phrase ἕν ἐσμεν ({en esmen) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. ἕν is neuter, not masculine, so the assertion is not that Jesus and the Father are one person, but one “thing.” Identity of the two persons is not what is asserted, but essential unity (unity of essence).
[10:31] 194 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24.
[10:32] 195 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[10:32] 196 tn Or “good works.”
[10:33] 197 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here again the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in vv. 24, 31.
[10:33] 198 tn Grk “answered him.”
[10:33] 199 tn Or “good work.”
[10:33] 200 sn This is the first time the official charge of blasphemy is voiced openly in the Fourth Gospel (although it was implicit in John 8:59).
[10:33] 201 tn Grk “and because.”
[10:33] 202 tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”
[10:34] 203 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:34] 204 sn A quotation from Ps 82:6. Technically the Psalms are not part of the OT “law” (which usually referred to the five books of Moses), but occasionally the term “law” was applied to the entire OT, as here. The problem in this verse concerns the meaning of Jesus’ quotation from Ps 82:6. It is important to look at the OT context: The whole line reads “I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.” Jesus will pick up on the term “sons of the Most High” in 10:36, where he refers to himself as the Son of God. The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title “gods” because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. What is the argument here? It is often thought to be as follows: If it was an OT practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and not blasphemy, why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus? This really doesn’t seem to fit the context, however, since if that were the case Jesus would not be making any claim for “divinity” for himself over and above any other human being – and therefore he would not be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Rather, this is evidently a case of arguing from the lesser to the greater, a common form of rabbinic argument. The reason the OT judges could be called gods is because they were vehicles of the word of God (cf. 10:35). But granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is the Word incarnate, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world (10:36). In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word “God” of him who is the Word of God?
[10:35] 205 sn The parenthetical note And the scripture cannot be broken belongs to Jesus’ words rather than the author’s. Not only does Jesus appeal to the OT to defend himself against the charge of blasphemy, but he also adds that the scripture cannot be “broken.” In this context he does not explain precisely what is meant by “broken,” but it is not too hard to determine. Jesus’ argument depended on the exact word used in the context of Ps 82:6. If any other word for “judge” had been used in the psalm, his argument would have been meaningless. Since the scriptures do use this word in Ps 82:6, the argument is binding, because they cannot be “broken” in the sense of being shown to be in error.
[10:36] 206 tn Or “dedicated.”
[10:38] sn Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.
[10:38] 210 tn Or “so that you may learn.”
[10:39] 211 tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν (ezhtoun oun, “then they were seeking”; Ì66 א A L W Ψ Ë1,13 33 pm lat), ἐζήτουν δέ (ezhtoun de, “now they were seeking”; Ì45 and a few versional witnesses), καὶ ἐζήτουν (kai ezhtoun, “and they were seeking”; D), and ἐζήτουν (Ì75vid B Γ Θ 700 pm). Externally, the most viable readings are ἐζήτουν οὖν and ἐζήτουν. Transcriptionally, the οὖν could have dropped out via haplography since the verb ends in the same three letters. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the readings with δέ or καί if ἐζήτουν οὖν is original; such readings would more likely have arisen from the simple ἐζήτουν. Intrinsically, John is fond of οὖν, using it some 200 times. Further, this Gospel begins relatively few sentences without some conjunction. The minimal support for the δέ and καί readings suggests that they arose either from the lone verb reading (which would thus be prior to their respective Vorlagen but not necessarily the earliest reading) or through carelessness on the part of the scribes. Indeed, the ancestors of Ì45 and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν.
[10:39] 212 tn Grk “they were seeking.”
[10:39] 213 tn Grk “he departed out of their hand.”
[10:39] sn It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to “arrest” him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches. Nor is it clear whether Jesus’ escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his “hour” comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: His enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.
[10:40] 214 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:40] 215 tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[10:40] 216 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[10:40] 217 tn Grk “formerly.”
[10:40] sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).
[10:41] 218 tn Grk “And many.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[10:41] 219 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
