John 10:26 Meaning and Explanation
“But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Their unbelief, Jesus says, shows that they are not of his sheep, just as he had told them before.
What Does John 10:26 Mean?
Jesus turns their demand around. The difficulty is not in his speaking but in their hearing: they stand outside the flock he described at the earlier feast, and so the Shepherd's voice finds no answer in them. "As I said unto you" points back to the discourse of the fold.
The saying is sobering: belonging and believing go together, and unbelief is never merely intellectual. Yet the door of this chapter still stands open — "if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (verse 9) — and the next verse describes his sheep not by pedigree but by practice: they hear and they follow. The warning is meant to wound toward life: stop demanding and start listening, for listening is how sheep are known.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 10:26
What does John 10:26 mean?
Their unbelief, Jesus says, shows that they are not of his sheep, just as he had told them before.