Charles Ellicott Commentary John 10:12

"He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth [them]:" — John 10:12 (ASV)

But he who is a hireling. The Greek word occurs again in the New Testament only in the next verse and in Mark 1:20. It implies a lower position than the household servant and is more nearly what we would call the tramp-labourer. The thought follows from that of the good shepherd who, in the time of danger, will give his own life for the sheep.

The hireling has no interest in the sheep and cares for them only to secure his own hire. This lack of interest is strongly expressed in the double statement, not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not.

In the interpretation, we are not to think of the hierarchy, who have already been designated in John 10:8 as thieves and robbers breaking into the fold. Rather, this applies to all persons who take upon themselves the office of shepherds of the flock from any motive other than love for humanity, by any way other than the door (which is Christ), or by any call other than that of the Holy Spirit.

The hour of danger will distinguish between the shepherd and the hireling. The one, loving the sheep, will give even his life for them. The other, caring only for the hire, in whatever form it comes, will flee and leave the sheep as prey to the wolf.

And the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The words “the sheep” are not found in the majority of the better manuscripts, and their insertion makes the sentence awkward because the pronoun “them” was used immediately before for the same sheep. Adopting the better reading (see Note on next verse), we have, and the wolf catcheth them, and maketh havoc—that is, it seizes individual sheep and makes havoc in the flock.

Under the general image, we are to understand all the spiritual foes that destroy individual souls and rend the Church of Christ. The wolf is the natural enemy of the sheep and the fit emblem of all evil persons, who are the natural enemies of the sheep of Christ’s fold.

He spoke of false prophets as ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15). He sent forth the Twelve as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16), and the Seventy—whose mission, as we shall see (compare Note on John 10:22), was connected with the teaching of this chapter—as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3). St. Paul foresaw that in the very city from which St. John wrote this Gospel, after his departing, grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29).

These are the only passages in the New Testament where the word occurs. From them, we may gather that while wolves represent all false teachers and foes to truth, the wolf represents him who is the source from where they come. As all shepherds are related to the Good Shepherd, so are all wolves to the wolf whose work they do.