Translation commentary on John 10:11

Jesus speaks of himself as the good shepherd. The meaning of the adjective translated good (Greek kalos) here and in verse 14 depends on the context more than on the etymology of the word itself. Jesus is the good shepherd, the one who is willing to die for the sheep, in contrast to thieves, robbers, and hired men, who either destroy the sheep themselves or allow them to be destroyed. In this context good may therefore be understood in the sense of “dedicated” or “devoted,” that is, “the shepherd who is devoted to his sheep” or “… gives himself for his sheep.”

Is willing to die for the sheep is more literally “lays down his life for the sheep” (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible). The expression “to lay down one’s life” is used also in 13.37 and in 15.13, as wells as in 1 John 3.16. In 13.37 the future form is used, and it is translated by Good News Translation I am ready to die for you! In 15.13 Good News Translation translates to give his life. In the present passage Good News Translation and Phillips (“The good shepherd will give his life for the sake of his sheep”) takes Jesus’ words as a reference to a general truth, describing what a good shepherd is like, rather than as a specific reference to what Jesus as the good shepherd will eventually do for his sheep. Some commentators point out that, though this meaning is possible for the present verse, it is made difficult by the explicit reference to Jesus’ own death in verses 17-18. But this conclusion is not required. It is possible to take both passages (this verse and 17-18) as a statement of the good shepherd’s willingness to die for his sheep, as Good News Translation does. In some languages it is necessary to indicate specifically how or why the shepherd dies for the sheep, for example, “is willing to die in order to protect the sheep” or “… to keep the sheep from harm.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 10:11

Paragraph 10:11–16

Jesus changed the metaphor in this paragraph. In this new metaphor, the shepherd represents Jesus, the sheep again represent believers, and the hired hand represents bad Jewish leaders. The contrast here is that Jesus cares well for the sheep while the bad leaders only think about themselves.

10:11a

Jesus continued speaking to the people. Because this is the beginning of a new paragraph, it may be good to indicate this here. For example:

⌊Jesus said/continued⌋ ….

I am the good shepherd: In this metaphor, Jesus compared himself to someone who takes good care of sheep. Here are some ways that Jesus is like a good shepherd:

• They both have responsibility for caring for others.

• They both take good care of the ones that they are responsible for. They keep them safe and provide for their needs.

• They both lead and guide the ones that they are responsible for.

It is important to keep this figure of speech, as it is used many times in the Bible. See, for example, Psalm 23. However in some languages a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. It may be necessary to explain it in some way. For example:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

I am like a good shepherd

• Make the point of comparison explicit. For example:

I ⌊take care of my followers⌋ as a good shepherd ⌊takes care of his sheep⌋

• Make explicit that Jesus is the good shepherd of people. For example:

I am ⌊your⌋ good shepherd.
-or-
I am the good shepherd ⌊of my people⌋ .

the: The definite article the indicates that Jesus is the only good shepherd in the sense that is meant here. He is the only one who saves us. Only he dies for us to save us. He is not just one among many.

good: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as good means “fine, excellent.” In this context it indicates that the shepherd is faithful and works hard. He devotes himself to the welfare of the sheep.

shepherd: The word shepherd refers to someone who takes care of sheep and protects them from harm. As in 10:2, avoid using a word referring to a paid employee. The shepherd in this context is the owner of the sheep.

10:11b

The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep: The phrase The good shepherd continues to refer to Jesus. He was willing to die for his sheep, because he loved them. In some languages it may be natural to combine this sentence with the previous one and not repeat The good shepherd. For example:

who is willing to die for the sheep (Good News Translation)

lays down His life: This phrase indicates that the good shepherd was willing to die. As the good shepherd, Jesus allowed wicked men to kill him so that he could save the sheep, his people. For example:

gives his life (God’s Word)
-or-
sacrifices his life (New Living Translation (2004))

In some languages a life is not something that one can “lay down” or give. It may instead be possible to say:

dies willingly
-or-
allows others to kill him
-or-
is willing to be killed

for the sheep: The word for means “for the benefit of.” Jesus, the good shepherd, laid down his life for the benefit of his sheep, his people. He died to save them, so that they could live.

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