A.T. Robertson Commentary John 10:1

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." — John 10:1 (ASV)

Verily, Verily (Αμην, αμην). Solemn prelude by repetition as in 1:51. The words do not ever introduce a fresh topic (cf. 8:34,51,58). So in 10:7. The Pharisees had previously assumed (Vincent) they alone were the authoritative guides of the people (9:24,29). So Jesus has a direct word for them. So Jesus begins this allegory in a characteristic way. John does not use the word παραβολη, but παροιμια (verse 6), and it really is an allegory of the Good Shepherd and self-explanatory like that of the Prodigal Son in Lu 15. He first tells it in verses 1-5 and then explains and expands it in verses 7-18.

Into the fold of the sheep (εις την αυλην των προβατων). Originally αυλη (from αω, to blow) in Homer's time was just an uncovered space around the house enclosed by a wall, then a roofless enclosure in the country where flocks were herded as here and verse 16. It later came to mean the house itself or palace (Matthew 26:3,58, etc.). In the papyri it means the court attached to the house.

Climbeth up (αναβαινων). Present active participle of αναβαινω, to go up. One who goes up, not by the door, has to climb up over the wall.

Some other way (αλλαχοθεν). Rare word for old αλλοθεν, but in 4Macc. 1:7 and in a papyrus. Only here in N.T.

The same (εκεινος). "That one" just described.

Is a thief and a robber (κλεπτης εστιν κα ληιστης). Both old and common words (from κλεπτω, to steal, ληιζομα, to plunder). The distinction is preserved in the N.T. as here. Judas was a κλεπτης (John 12:6), Barabbas a robber (18:40) like the two robbers (Matthew 27:38,44) crucified with Jesus erroneously termed thieves like "the thief on the cross" by most people. See Mr 11:17. Here the man jumping over the wall comes to steal and to do it by violence like a bandit. He is both thief and robber.