Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
The Pharisees claimed to be the church's true pastors and treated Christ as an intruder with no commission from them. But His doubled amen, Amen, amen, stamps this teaching with absolute weight: whoever does not enter by the gate but climbs another way is a thief and robber, bent on mischief and damage to the flock.
AI summary
Commenting on John 10:1-18
And when he putteth forth his own sheep,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "when he leads them all out"; in order to bring them into proper pastures: he goeth before them; in allusion to the eastern shepherds, who when they put out their flocks, did not, as ours do, drive them before them, and follow after them, at least not always, but went before them: so...
Verse 4. He putteth forth. Or leads them out of the fold. He goeth before them. He leads them, and guides them, and does not leave them. A shepherd spent his time with his flocks. He went before them to seek the best pastures and watering- places, and to defend them from danger.