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Joh 10:3. Τούτῳ, to Him) as to one well known.-ὁ θυρωρός, the porter) Christ is regarded as the Shepherd, at verse 11, etc.; as the Door, at verse 1-10. Just as it is not unworthy of Christ to be called the Door, by which the shepherd enters: so it is not unworthy of God to be called the Porter. The Hebrew שער sounds a more honourable designation. As to the thing signified, see Act 14:27, “How God had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles:” Col 4:3, “Praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance.” Comp. Rev 3:7, “He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth:” Act 16:14, “Lydia-whose heart the Lord opened.” C. Weisius, a theologian of Leipsic, has maintained, in a copious dissertation, published in A. 1739, that the Porter is the Holy Spirit.-τὰ πρόβατα-τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα, the sheep-His own sheep) So Joh 10:4, by an inverse Chiasmus, His own sheep-the sheep.-ἀκούει, καλεῖ, they hear, He calls) Correlatives.-τὰ ἴδια τρόβατα, His own sheep) All are His own sheep: comp. Joh 10:12, “He that-is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not.” But this epithet is more consonant with the call given by name than with the hearing. [The genuine Shepherd is indeed recognised as such by all souls that are duly affected; but He is manifested in a peculiar manner to those, whom His assistance especially helps.-V. g.]-καλεῖ κατʼ ὄνομα, He calls by name) Even sheep were by the ancients distinguished by names.-καί) and so, whilst He calls.