John 10:1

Webster's Bible (1833)

"Most assuredly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν, Ὁ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν προβάτων, ἀλλὰ ἀναβαίνων ἀλλαχόθεν, ἐκεῖνος κλέπτης ἐστὶν καὶ λῃστής.

Transliteration

Amēn, amēn, legō to you, the one not eiserchomenos through the thyras into the aulēn of the probatōn, but anabainōn allachothen, that one kleptēs estin and lēstēs.

Grammar Details

• *Amēn*: Hebrew term used as emphatic affirmation - truly/verily/amen
• *legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say/tell/speak
• *eiserchomenos*: present middle participle, masculine nominative singular - entering/going in
• *thyras*: genitive, feminine, singular - door/gate
• *aulēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - court/fold/enclosure
• *probatōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - of sheep
• *anabainōn*: present active participle, masculine nominative singular - climbing up/ascending
• *allachothen*: adverb - from elsewhere/another way
• *kleptēs estin*: present indicative, 3rd person singular - is a thief
• *lēstēs*: nominative, masculine, singular - robber/bandit

Word Meanings

• *Amēn*: truly/verily/amen
• *legō*: say/speak/tell
• *eiserchomenos*: entering/going in
• *thyras*: door/gate/entrance
• *aulēn*: courtyard/fold/enclosure
• *probatōn*: sheep
• *anabainōn*: climbing up/ascending
• *allachothen*: from elsewhere/by another way
• *kleptēs*: thief/stealer
• *lēstēs*: robber/bandit/plunderer

Referenced Verses

• 1 John 4:1 : 1 Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
• Heb 5:4 : 4 Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.
• John 10:8-9 : 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. 10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
• Rom 16:18 : 18 For those who are such don't serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent.
• Matt 7:15 : 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
• 2 Pet 2:3 : 3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
• 1 Pet 1:10 : 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
• 2 Pet 2:1 : 1 But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
• Eph 4:8-9 : 8 Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." 9 Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds{The word for "shepherds" (poimenas) can also be correctly translated "pastors."} and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
• Matt 23:16-28 : 16 "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.' 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.' 19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it. 22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it. 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin,{ cumin is an aromatic seed from Cuminum cyminum, resembling caraway in flavor and appearance. It is used as a spice.} and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! 25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.{TR reads "self-indulgence" instead of "unrighteousness"} 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of it may become clean also. 27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
• John 3:3 : 3 Jesus answered him, "Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born anew,{The word translated "anew" here and in John 3:7 (anothen) also means "again" and "from above".} he can't see the Kingdom of God."
• Rom 10:15 : 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
• Isa 56:10-12 : 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they can't bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yes, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds who can't understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. 12 Come you, [say they], I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, [a day] great beyond measure.
• Jer 14:15 : 15 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, and I didn't send them, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
• Jer 23:16-17 : 16 Thus says Yahweh of Hosts, Don't listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Yahweh. 17 They say continually to those who despise me, Yahweh has said, You shall have peace; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come on you.
• Jer 23:21 : 21 I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I didn't speak to them, yet they prophesied.
• Jer 23:32 : 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says Yahweh, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I didn't send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, says Yahweh.
• Jer 28:15-17 : 15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: Yahweh has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth: this year you shall die, because you have spoken rebellion against Yahweh. 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
• Jer 29:31-32 : 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says Yahweh concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn't send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie; 32 therefore thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he see the good that I will do to my people, says Yahweh, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.
• Ezek 13:2-6 : 2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say you to those who prophesy out of their own heart, Hear you the word of Yahweh: 3 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Yahweh. 6 They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, Yahweh says; but Yahweh has not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.
• Ezek 34:2-5 : 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and tell them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, and you clothe you with the wool, you kill the fatlings; but you don't feed the sheep. 4 You haven't strengthened the diseased, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought back that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have you ruled over them. 5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
• Zech 11:4-5 : 4 Thus says Yahweh my God: "Feed the flock of slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them, and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Blessed be Yahweh, for I am rich;' and their own shepherds don't pity them.
• Zech 11:16-17 : 16 For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. 17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!"
• Titus 1:11 : 11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.
• 2 Pet 2:14-19 : 14 having eyes full of adultery, and who can't cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing; 15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrong-doing; 16 but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. 18 For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage.