John 10:11

The Allegory of the Good Shepherd

11. I am the Good Shepherd The word translated -good" cannot he adequately translated: it means -beautiful, noble, good," as opposed to -foul, mean, wicked." It sums up the chief attributes of ideal perfection. Christ is the Perfect Shepherd, as opposed to His own imperfect ministers; He is the true Shepherd, as opposed to the false shepherds, who are hirelings or hypocrites; He is the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep, as opposed to the wicked thief who takes their lives to preserve his own. Thus in Christ is realised the ideal Shepherd of O.T. Psalms 23; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Ezekiel 37:24; Zechariah 11:7. Perhaps no image has penetrated more deeply into the mind of Christendom: Christian prayers and hymns, Christian painting and statuary, and Christian literature are full of it, and have been from the earliest ages. And side by side with it is commonly found the other beautiful image of this Gospel, the Vine: the Good Shepherd and the True Vine are figures of which Christians have never wearied.

giveth his life Better, layeth down His life. The phrase is a remarkable one and peculiar to S. John, whereas -to giveHis life" occurs in the Synoptists (Matthew 20:20; Mark 10:45). -To laydown" perhaps includes the notion of -to paydown," a common meaning of the words in classical Greek; if so, it is exactly equivalent to the Synoptic phrase -to give as a ransom." It occurs again, John 10:15; John 10:17, John 13:37-38; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16. In this country the statement -the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" seems extravagant when taken apart from the application to Christ. It is otherwise in the East, where dangers from wild beasts and armed bands of robbers are serious and constant. Comp. Genesis 13:5; Genesis 14:12; Genesis 31:39-40; Genesis 32:7-8; Genesis 37:33; Job 1:17; 1 Samuel 17:34-35.