Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
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.
- BSB But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”
- 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. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
- Col 2:6–10As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,
- Eph 4:11–15He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
- Prov 19:27If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- Rev 2:2“I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.
- Mark 4:24He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.
- 1 Pet 2:1–3Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
- Luke 8:18Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
- 2 Tim 3:5–7holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.
- 1 Jn 2:21I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
- 1 Kgs 22:7But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of him?”
- 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.
- 2 Tim 4:3For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;
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.