But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”
Parallel translations
- WEB They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
- KJV And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
- NKJV Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
- NASB However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
- NLT They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The sheep refuse to follow a stranger and flee from him because they do not recognize his voice. Christ's people are kept from false shepherds.
Overview
True sheep instinctively reject voices that are not their shepherd's, a comfort that the flock will ultimately not be deceived by impostors. This points to the perseverance of God's people, guarded from fatal error. They are known by their refusal to follow strangers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Jn 4:5–6They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
- Col 2:6–10Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
- Eph 4:11–15And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
- Prov 19:27If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- Rev 2:2I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
- Mark 4:24He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.
- 1 Pet 2:1–3Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- Luke 8:18Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
- 2 Tim 3:5–7having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
- 1 Jn 2:21I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
- 1 Kgs 22:7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
- 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
- 2 Tim 4:3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 10:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.