A.T. Robertson Commentary John 10:11

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep." — John 10:11 (ASV)

I am the good shepherd (εγω ειμ ο ποιμην ο καλος). Note repetition of the article, "the shepherd the good one." Takes up the metaphor of verses 2f.. Vulgate pastor bonus. Philo calls his good shepherd αγαθος, but καλος calls attention to the beauty in character and service like "good stewards" (1 Peter 4:10), "a good minister of Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 4:6). Often both adjectives appear together in the ancient Greek as once in the New Testament (Luke 8:15). "Beauty is as beauty does." That is καλος.

Layeth down his life for his sheep (την ψυχην αυτου τιθησιν υπερ των προβατων). For illustration see 1 Samuel 17:35 (David's experience) and Isa 31:4. Dods quotes Xenophon (Mem. ii. 7, 14) who pictures even the sheep dog as saying to the sheep: "For I am the one that saves you also so that you are neither stolen by men nor seized by wolves." Hippocrates has ψυχην κατεθετο (he laid down his life, i.e. died). In Jud 12:3 εθηκα την ψυχην means "I risked my life." The true physician does this for his patient as the shepherd for his sheep. The use of υπερ here (over, in behalf of, instead of), but in the papyri υπερ is the usual preposition for substitution rather than αντ. This shepherd gives his life for the sin of the world (1:29; 1 John 2:2).