John 10:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The sheep will not follow a stranger; not knowing his voice, they run from him.
What Does John 10:5 Mean?
Jesus completes the contrast begun at the fold. Travelers in shepherd country told how a flock would scatter at the call of anyone but its own shepherd. The strangers here stand over against the shepherd of verse 4 — voices with no claim on the sheep. The Pharisees listening had just shown themselves such voices to the man born blind.
There is protection in knowing one voice well. The sheep are not trained to catalogue every false call; they are so familiar with the true one that everything else sounds wrong. So with the believer: the surest defense against deceiving voices is not expertise in error but deep acquaintance with the Shepherd's word. What does not sound like him is to be fled, not entertained.
John 10:5 in the Original Language
allotrios (ἀλλότριος), 'stranger' -- one belonging to another; an outsider with no claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 10:5
What does John 10:5 mean?
The sheep will not follow a stranger; not knowing his voice, they run from him.