God & Savior

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
John 10:11
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Study notes

Jesus says He is the good shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep.

Explanation

In the Old Testament God is the shepherd of His people (Psalm 23:1; Ezekiel 34:11-16). Jesus takes this role. Unlike a hired hand who runs away (10:12-13), He gives His own life for His sheep.

Original language
  • ἐγώ (egō): I/we
    Greek · Personal pronoun, 1st person, nominative, singular · Strong's G1473 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    I myself am (egō eimi): an emphatic "I am". John records seven "I am" sayings with a picture like this one.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 1

  • ποιμὴν (poimēn): shepherd
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G4166 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Shepherd.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 4

  • καλός· (kalos): good
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G2570G · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Good: noble, beautiful.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 6

  • ψυχὴν (psuchēn): soul
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G5590H · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Life, soul.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 12

  • τίθησιν (tithēsin): to place
    Greek · Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G5087 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Lays down.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 14

  • προβάτων (probatōn): sheep
    Greek · Noun, genitive, plural, neuter · Strong's G4263 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Sheep.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 10:11, word 17

Cross-references
Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός· ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων.

  1. ἐγώegō“I myself”
    Personal pronoun, 1st person, nominative, singular · “I/we” · Strong's G1473
  2. εἰμιeimi“am”
    Verb, present, active, indicative, 1st person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  3. ὁho“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  4. ποιμὴνpoimēn“shepherd”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · from ποιμήν · “shepherd” · Strong's G4166
  5. ὁho“<the>”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  6. καλός·kalos“good;”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, masculine · from καλός · “good” · Strong's G2570G
  7. ὁho“The”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  8. ποιμὴνpoimēn“shepherd”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · from ποιμήν · “shepherd” · Strong's G4166
  9. ὁho“<the>”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  10. καλὸςkalos“good”
    Adjective, nominative, singular, masculine · from καλός · “good” · Strong's G2570G
  11. τὴνtēn“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  12. ψυχὴνpsuchēn“life”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from ψυχή · “soul” · Strong's G5590H
  13. αὐτοῦautou“of Him”
    Personal pronoun, genitive, singular, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  14. τίθησινtithēsin“lays down”
    Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from τίθημι · “to place” · Strong's G5087
  15. ὑπὲρhuper“for”
    Preposition · from ὑπέρ · “above/for” · Strong's G5228
  16. τῶνtōn“the”
    Article, genitive, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  17. προβάτων.probatōn“sheep.”
    Noun, genitive, plural, neuter · from πρόβατον · “sheep” · Strong's G4263
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)