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John Chapter 10

1. VERILY, verily, I say to you, he that enters not in by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2. But he that enters in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep.

3. To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

4. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

5. But a stranger they will not follow, but will fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.

6. This parable spoke jesus to them, but they knew not what things they were which he spoke to them.

7. Then said jesus again to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep.

8. All whoever that have come before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them.

9. I am the door: by me if any one enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and find pasture.

10. The thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.

11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his soul for the sheep.

12. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flies; and the wolf seizes them, and scatters the sheep.

13. But the hireling flees, because he is an hireling, and cares not for the sheep.

14. I am the good shepherd, and know my own, and am known of my own;

15. As the father knows me, I also know the father; and I lay down my soul for the sheep.

16. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

17. For this does my father love me, because I lay down my soul, that I may take it again.

18. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father.

19. There was a division therefore again among the Jews, on account of these sayings.

20. But many of them said, He has a devil, and is mad; why hear you him?

21. Others said, These are not the sayings of him that has a devil; can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

22. But it was at Jerusalem, the feast of dedication, and it was winter.

23. And jesus walked in the temple, in the porch of Solomon.

24. Then came the Jews round about him, and said to him, How long do you hold our soul in suspense? If you be the christ, tell us plainly.

25. jesus answered them, I said to you, and you believe not; the works which I do in the name of my father, these bear witness of me.

26. But you believe not, for you are not of my sheep, as I said to you.

27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

28. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand.

29. My Father, who has given to me, is greater than all, and no one can pluck out of the hand of my father.

30. I and the father are one.

31. Then the Jews took again stones, that they might stone him.

32. jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my father ; for which of those works do you stone me?

33. The Jews answered him, saying, for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself god.

34. jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods?

35. If he called them gods, to whom the Word of god was [spoken] and the Scripture cannot be dissolved;

36. Say you of him, whom the father has sanctified and sent into the world, You blaspheme, because I said, I am the Son of god ?

37. If I do not the works of my father, believe me not.

38. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the father is in me, and I in him.

39. Then they sought again to lay hold of him, and he escaped out of their hand;

40. And went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where John was at first baptizing; and he abode there.

41. And many came to him, and said, John indeed did no miracle, [sign] but all things which John said of this [man] are true.

42. And many believed in him there.

Verses 1, 2. Verily, verily, I say to you, he that enters not in by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber, &c. &c. Door in the Word signifies that which introduces, or lets in either to truth, or to good, or to the lord ; hence it is, that door also signifies truth itself, likewise good itself, and also the lord himself, for truth leads to good, and good to the lord ; such things were represented by the door and vails of the tabernacle, and also of the temple. AC 2356.

Thief in the above passage denotes one who by falses destroys the goods of faith. AC 9125.

Thief also denotes the evil of merit, for he who takes from the lord what is his, and claims it to himself, is called a thief; this evil, inasmuch as it closes the way, and prevents good and truth from the lord flowing in, is said to kill and to destroy. AC 5135.

From the above verses it appears, that the lord himself ought to be approached, to the intent that any one may be saved, and that he who approaches him is the shepherd of the sheep, and he who does not approach him is a thief and a robber. DP 230.

All, who do not enter in by the door, that is, by the lord, are called thieves and robbers; but they, who enter in by the door, that is, by the lord, are called the shepherds of the sheep; therefore, my friend, go to the lord, and shun evils as sins, and reject the doctrine of faith alone, and then your understanding will be opened, and you will see wonderful things, and be affected by them. AR 914.

To enter into the sheep-fold is to enter into the church, and likewise into heaven; the reason why it denotes also into heaven, is, because they make one, and nothing else makes heaven but the church there; wherefore as the lord is the bridegroom and husband of the church, so likewise he is the bridegroom and husband of heaven. TCR 380.

That to enter in by the door is to enter in by the lord, is evident, for it is said, I am the door of the sheep; to enter in by the lord is to go to him, to acknowledge him, to believe in him, and to love him, as he himself teaches in several passages; thus, and no otherwise, man is let into heaven, wherefore he teaches, "By me if any one enter in, he shall be saved, and he who climbs up some other way is a thief and a robber." AE 208. See also AE 248.

Verse 3. To him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. By sheep in the Word are understood those who are principled in truths derived from good, thus who are principled in faith derived from charity; by voice is not here understood voice, but the divine proceeding, which is divine truth, and which flows in with those who are in the good of charity, and gives them intelligence, and so far as they are principled in good, gives wisdom; intelligence is of truth, and wisdom is of truth derived from good. AE 261.

To call the sheep by name, is to teach and lead every one who is in the good of charity, according to the state of his love and wisdom. DP 230.

Sheep denote those who are principled in the good of charity and of faith; to hear a voice denotes to obey the precepts; to call by name, and lead them out, denotes to gift with heaven according to the good of love and of faith, for a name, when predicated of men, is their quality as to love and faith. AC 9310.

The celestial are those of whom the lord says, "He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out, and when he leads out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice;"

but the spiritual are those of whom the lord says, Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. It is the good of love which makes the celestial church, but the good of faith which makes the spiritual church. AC 2669.

Verse 4. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. By following the lord is here meant to acknowledge his divinity, and to obey him; for it is said that he goes before his own sheep, and the sheep follow Mm, and they know and hear his voice; where to know and hear the voice of the lord, signifies to do his precepts. AE 864.

Verse 5. But a stranger they will not follow, because they know not the voice of strangers. By the voice of strangers is here denoted what is false. AC 9926.

Verse 8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, &c. Priests, who teach truths, and by them lead to good, of life, and thus to the lord, are the good shepherds of the sheep; but they who teach, and do not lead to good of life, and thereby to the lord, are evil shepherds, who are called by the lord thieves and robbers. AC 10794.

It may be said, that on account of the sensual idea respecting redemption, and thence respecting god, in supposing redemption to consist merely in the passion of the cross, The ways to heaven, which are the ways to the lord god the Saviour, are beset with thieves and robbers, John 10:1, 8, 9, and that the doors of the temple are thrown down, and thus have entered dragons, owls, and the tzjim and jiim have entered and made a dreadful discord. TCR 133.

Verse 9. By me if any one enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and find pasture. By entering in and going out is signified in every state of good and truth in worship, wherefore it signifies further to be led of the lord as to every state of life, consequently to think and will what is good from a free principle, that is from love and faith, which are from the lord, for those principles make freedom. The reason of the above signification of going in and going out is grounded in representatives in the other life; for in that life they go, walk, make progress, enter in and go out, as in the world, but all those things, are performed according to the state of the life of their thoughts and affections; hence it is evident that all things, which appertain to motion, signify those things which appertain to states of life, consequently that to go in and go out signify every state of life; thus the state of the thing treated of from beginning to end. AC 9927.

That pasture denotes good and truth, which recreate and sustain the soul or spirit of man, is plain from the above words of the lord, where pasture denotes the goods and truths belonging to those who acknowledge the lord, and seek life from him alone. AC 6078.

To find pasture denotes to be taught, illustrated, and nourished in divine truths. AR 914.

Verse 10. The thief comes not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they may have life, &c. To kill denotes to destroy the life of faith; wherefore it is said, I am come that they may have life. AC 6767. See also above in the extracts for verses 1, 2, where it is said, that the evil of merit, represented by the thief, inasmuch as it closes the way and prevents good and truth from the lord flowing in, is said to kill and to destroy.

By life is here meant the life of heaven belonging to man, which is also called eternal life, and which is derived from the lord alone, who is therefore said to be alive and living; and inasmuch as he is life, therefore all have life from him, as he also teaches in John, I am come that they may have life. The reason why life signifies the lord, and hence salvation and heaven, is, because the all of life is from one single fountain, and that one single fountain of life is the lord, whilst angels and men are only forms recipient of life from him; the life itself, which proceeds from the lord, and which fills heaven and the world, is the life of his love, which appears in heaven as light, and which illuminates the minds of the angels, and gives them to understand and to be wise. AE 186.

Verse 12. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, sees the wolf coming, &c. Hirelings, who do not think of recompense in heaven, but of recompense in the world, thus who do good for the sake of gain, whether it be honour or wealth, thus for the sake of themselves and the world, are natural infernal men; these hirelings are understood in the above passage. AE 695.

Verse 15. As the. Father knows me, I also know the Father; and I lay down my soul for the sheep. By these words is meant that the lord united the Divine [principle] to the Human by temptations through his own proper power. AC 3381.

Verse 16. Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, &c. It is written in Ezekiel, "jehovah said, Son of Man, take to you one piece of wood, and write upon it for Judah and for the sons of Israel his companions, and take one piece of wood, and write upon it for Joseph, the piece of wood of Ephraim, and of all the house of Israel his companions; and join them together, one to the other for yourself into one piece of wood, that they may be both one in my hand," Ez 37:16, 17, treating of the celestial and spiritual kingdom of the lord ; the celestial kingdom is Judah; the spiritual kingdom is Joseph, both which kingdoms were no longer to be two, but one; they were also made into one by the coming of the lord into the world; that by the coming of the lord the spiritual were saved, see AC 2661, 2716, 2833, 2834; these are they of whom the lord speaks in John, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring with me, and they will hear my voice, and will become one flock and one shepherd. AC 3969. See also 7035. AE 433.

Verses 17, 18. For this does my Father love me, because I lay down my soul, that I may take it again, &c. &c. The arcanum, which lies concealed in these words, cannot be seen by any one unless by him who is acquainted with the nature of temptations, by which man is regenerated; for man in temptations is held in his freedom, from which it appears to him as if he sought from himself, yea, in temptations man has a stronger spiritual freedom than out of them, inasmuch as it is more interior; for all freedom is of love, wherefore man then fights from the love of truth, and thence from the love of eternal life. From these few observations, it may in some measure be seen what the above words of t e lord involve, namely that he fought from his own freedom, and at length laid down his soul, to the intent that he might do all things from his own proper power, and hence from himself might be made justice, which could not have been effected but from his free principle; hence it is said, "I lay down my soul of myself, I have the power of laying it down, and the power of taking it again; this commandment I have received of my father." AE 900.

That the lord himself by his own proper power governed in a state of temptations, that is, overcame the hells which were in evils and falses, and thus glorified or made divine the Human [principle] in himself, is manifest from the above words, I lay down my soul, &c. AC 5045.

The lord admitted into himself temptations, that he might expel thence all that was merely human, and thus until nothing remained but what was divine; that the lord admitted temptations into himself, even the last, which was that of the cross, may be manifest from his words "No one takes my soul from, me, hut I lay it down of myself; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." AC 2816.

That the lord, in the passion of the cross, was left to himself, is manifest from this his exclamation on the cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me; and likewise from these his words, No one takes my soul from me, &c. from which words it may be manifest, that the lord did not suffer as to divinity but as to humanity, and that on this occasion inmost and thus plenary union was effected. TCR 126.

Verses 28, 29. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one can pluck them out of my hand. My Father who has given to me, is greater than all, &c. &c. The lord here speaks of the father as of another [Being] saying, No one can pluck the sheep out of the hands of my Father; and yet, lest they should believe that the Father and he were two, he says, verse 30, I and my Father are One; and lest they should believe that they were one only by love, he adds, That you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father; hence it may be manifest, that the lord by the father meant himself, or the Divine [principle] in himself from conception; and that by the Son, whom the father sent, he meant his Human [principle] for this was sent into the world, by being conceived of god the father, and born of a virgin. AE 852.

That they who are conjoined to the lord by love and faith, receive eternal life, that is, the life of heaven, which is salvation, is evident from the above words, The sheep follow me, and I give them eternal life, nor shall they ever perish. AE 349.

Verse 30. I and the Father are One. From these words it is evident, that he was not another [Being] separate from the father, although he spoke of the father as of another, and this on account of reciprocal unification, which was to be effected, and which was effected. Hence it is, that in heaven, they know no other father but the lord, because the father is in him, and he is one with the father, and when they see him, they see the father. AC 2004.

Verse 38. That you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. With those, who are only in the science of a thing, and thence in thought concerning it, to know is to understand; but with those who are in faith, to know is to believe; whilst with those who are principled in love, to know is to perceive. AC 10155.

From the expression, That the Father is in me and I in the Father, it may be manifest what is the quality of the union of the Divine [principle] and the human in the lord, namely that it is mutual and reciprocal, which union is what is called the divine marriage, from which descends the heavenly marriage, which is the kingdom itself of the lord in the heavens. AC 2803.

translator's notes and observations.

Verse 1. He that enters not in by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. According to the literal sense of these words, it is not easy to distinguish between a thief and a robber; but according to the spiritual sense the distinction is both evident and edifying, because a thief denotes one who claims truth to himself as his own property, not acknowledging it to be the lord's ; whereas a robber is one who claims good to himself, and thus alienates it from its divine proprietor.

Verses 3 and 4. And he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out; and when he puts forth his own sheep, &c. The lord here makes a distinction between leading out his sheep, and putting them forth, in order to mark the two distinct states of regenerate life; first, when man is under the instruction of truth, and is thus led to good; and secondly, when he has attained to a state of good, and from that state goes forth to the discharge of all those duties which truth teaches to be duties, and which good delights in performing.

Verse 8. All whoever that have come before me are thieves and robbers, &c. It would seem from the letter of these words, as if the blessed jesus condemned all, who, at any period of the world, had assumed the office of teachers or instructors in the church. But according to the spiritual meaning of the words, no such condemnation is pronounced. For the spiritual sense teaches, that coming before him is not to be understood in regard to the time in which they lived, but in regard to the spirit in which they taught, and that thus to come before the blessed jesus, means to exalt themselves above him, or to set their own understandings above his, consequently to teach from themselves, and not

from the Word. All such therefore are here called thieves and robbers, because they ascribe both truth and good to themselves, and not to the lord.

Verse 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd, &c. What is here rendered good, is expressed in the original Greek by the term kalos, which properly signifies beautiful, and thus suggests an idea distinct from the term agathos, or good, for what is beautiful, or kalon, is predicated of truth, whereas what is good, or agathon, is predicated of good.

Verse 11. The good shepherd lays down his soul for the sheep. What is here rendered lays down, is expressed in the original by the term tithesin, from tithemi, which properly signifies to put, or to place, but indicates nothing like laying down, rather suggesting the idea of communication, or of imparting, and thus possibly denoting that the blessed jesus is willing to communicate or impart his soul, [the whole of his life both of goodness and truth] to all his faithful followers.

Verse 12. And the wolf seizes them, and scatters the sheep. The intelligent reader will not fail to note in this passage the reference to the infernal marriage of what is evil and what is false, which is so pointedly described; for the term seizes, as here applied to the wolf, is intended to mark the violent operation of evil, whilst the term scatters marks with equal force the deceitful operation of all those false principles and persuasions which proceed from evil.

Verse 15. And I lay down my soul for the sheep. See note above at 5:11, concerning the expression I lay down, which also occurs again at verses 17 and 18.

Verse 35. If he called them gods, to whom the Word of God was [spoken] and the Scripture cannot be dissolved, &c. What is here rendered was [spoken] is expressed in the original by the term egeneto, from ginomai, which properly signifies to be born, or produced, thus denoting the birth or production of the Word of god in its literal or external expression. Accordingly the lord here makes a distinction between what he calls the Word of God, and the Scripture, because the Word of God involves in it the whole of the divine truth proceeding from the divine good, whereas the Scripture denotes this truth in its written state, or as it is expressed in its letter or history, on which account it is said of it, that it cannot be dissolved [or loosened, as the original Greek implies] to denote that it cannot be separated from its internal sense, or that Divine word from which it has birth.