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Joh_10:1.[58] The new chapter ought to have begun with Joh_9:35; for Joh_10:1-21 constitute one act with Joh_9:35-41, as is evident both from the circumstance that Joh_10:1 ff. follow immediately without the slightest indication of a change having taken place, and also from Joh_10:6 (comp. Joh_9:41). The parable is therefore still addressed to the Pharisees of chap. 9; as Joh_10:21 also shows by the reference which it contains to the healing of the blind man.
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν , etc.] After the punitive words of Joh_9:41, Jesus now, with solemn earnestness, and through the medium of a parable, unveils to them how their hostile relation to Him, in rejecting Him, whilst at the same time regarding themselves as the leaders of the people of God, necessarily made them the corrupters of the nation. His discourse proceeds, however, without any objection or contradiction being raised by His opponents; for they did not understand the figure, Joh_10:6; many also fail to understand the explanation, and despise the speaker as crazy (Joh_10:20); whilst others, again, yield to the impression made by the penetrating truth of His words (Joh_10:21). It happened, accordingly, that Jesus was able to carry out the beautiful allegory (Joh_10:6) in all its detail, without interruption, as it were in one breath; and had therefore, at its close, nothing further to do than to let the words spoken produce their natural impression. Their primary effect was a division among His hearers (Joh_10:19), in accordance with Joh_9:39; such as had already showed itself in Joh_9:16.
ὁ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος , etc.] The flocks of sheep spent the night in a fold ( αὐλή , âÌÀãÅøÈä ) surrounded by a wall, at whose gate an under-shepherd ( ὁ θυρωρός , Joh_10:3) kept watch during the night. See especially Bochart, Hieroz. I. p. 482, ed. Rosenm. Opposed to the ΕἸΣΕΡΧΌΜ . ΔΙᾺ Τ . ΘΎΡΑς (the emphasis lies on the last word) is the ἈΝΑΒΑΊΝΩΝ ἈΛΛΑΧΌΘΕΝ , who gets up (on to the wall, for the purpose of coming into the αὐλή , over it) from elsewhere, i.e. from another direction than that indicated by the gate. There is only one gate. On ἀλλαχόθεν , which is equivalent to the old classical ἄλλοθεν , see Ael. H. A. 7. 10; V. H. 6. 2; 4Ma_1:7.
κλέπτ . κ . λῃστής ] Thief and robber; a climactic strengthening of the idea (Bornemann, Scholia in Lucam, p. xxx.; Lobeck, Paralip. p. 60 f.); the individual features, however, of the soul-destroying, selfish procedure thus indicated (Eze_34:8; Mal_2:8; Jer_23:1) are not to be dissevered.
For the explanation of the figure we must note,—(1) The αὐλὴ τῶν προβάτων is the Church of the people of God, whose members are the πρόβατα (comp. Psalms 23, Ps. 77:21, Psa_95:7, Psa_100:3), conceived in their totality as the future community of the Messianic kingdom (Joh_21:16 f.); comp. Mat_25:32, consequently as to their theocratic destination (ideally). It is in itself correct, indeed, as to substance, to assume a reference to the predestinated (Augustine, Lampe) (though not in the Augustinian sense); but in form it introduces something foreign to the context. (2) The ΘΎΡΑ is not to be left without its proper signification (Lücke, De Wette); nor to be taken as denoting in general the legitimus ordo, the divine calling, the approach ordained by God, and the like (Maldonatus, Tholuck, Luthardt, Brückner, Hengstenberg, Godet, and several others); but Christ Himself is the door; indeed, He Himself in Joh_10:7 expressly thus interprets the point, because His hearers had failed to understand it.[59] The true leaders of the theocratic people can enter on their vocation in no other way than through Him; He must qualify and commission them; He must be the mediator of their relation to the sheep. Quite a different position was taken up by the Pharisees; independently of Him, and in an unbelieving and hostile spirit towards Him, they arrogated to themselves the position of the leaders of the people of God. It is thoroughly arbitrary to assume that Jesus did not here intend by the figure of the gate to denote Himself, notwithstanding the distinct declaration contained in Joh_10:9. Chrysostom, Ammonius, Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, and several others, have perversely interpreted the doors of the Holy Scriptures. “Ipse textus addit imagini interpretationem qua contenti simus,” Melancthon.
[58] On the parable, see Fritzsche in Fritzschior. Opusc. p. 1 ff.; Voretzsch, Diss. de John x. 1–18, Altenb. 1838.
[59] Comp. Ignat. ad Philad. 9, where Christ is termed θύρα τοῦ πατρός ; also Herm. Past. 3; Sim. 9. 12.