Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 10:11

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

The concept of a divine shepherd goes back to the OT (e.g., Psalms 23; Jeremiah 23:1– 3; Ezekiel 34:12, 15). To the disciples the figure would have been specially apt since shepherding was one of the major occupations in Palestine. It involved both a protective concern and a sacrificial attitude. This latter is expressed in the words “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This phrase, unique to the Johannine writings, means a voluntary sacrificial death (10:11, 17, 18; 13:37–38; 15:13). “Life” (GK 6034) implies more than physical existence; it involves personality and is more frequently translated “soul.” The good shepherd stands ready to sacrifice his total self for the sake of the sheep.