10:2
But: In the Greek text, this sentence connects to the previous sentence with the common conjunction that indicates contrast. The Berean Standard Bible translates this conjunction literally as But. The contrast is between those who climb the wall of the pen and those who enter through the gate.
the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep: In this next part of the extended metaphor, Jesus contrasted the shepherd to the thieves he just mentioned. Unlike the thieves and robbers, the shepherd enters the sheepfold by walking through the gate. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:
The man who goes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. (Good News Translation)
-or-
But it is the shepherd of the sheep who goes in by the door.
enters: In some languages it may be necessary to say what the shepherd enters. For example:
enters ⌊the sheepfold⌋
-or-
goes into ⌊the sheep pen⌋
the shepherd of the sheep: This phrase refers to the man who takes care of the sheep, who leads, protects, and provides for them. Verses 12–16 show that the shepherd that Jesus spoke about was the sheep’s owner and not a hired worker. If possible, avoid using a term that refers to a paid worker. However, the most important idea that must be included is that this person takes care of the sheep. If you do not have a word for shepherd, you may need to use a phrase that describes him. For example:
the one who cares for the sheep
-or-
the sheep farmer
the sheep: See the note explaining sheep in 2:14a. Also see how you translated the word there. In Jesus’ figure of speech, the sheep represent his followers, but he did not make that explicit here. Only later did it become clear that the sheep are his followers.
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