John 10:26

(26) But ye believe not.—Comp. Notes on Joh_10:5; Joh_10:14; Joh_10:16.

As I said unto you.—These words are not found in the Sinaitic or Vatican MSS., and are omitted by the best modern editors. They are not, however, without considerable authority, and the fact of their difficulty may have led to their omission. They are sometimes joined to the following verse, and some expositors accept this as their probable meaning; but although the preceding clause of Joh_10:26 was not actually spoken in the previous discourse, it was implied, and the reference is of a like kind to that of the Messiah in Joh_10:25. There is no real difficulty in the fact that He thus refers them to a discourse uttered two months before. In continuity of teaching from Him to them it immediately preceded, and at the commencement of this discourse He gathers up the thread of that which had gone before. On the other hand, the interval helps us to understand how He refers to a truth which was taught them, rather than to the actual words in which He taught it.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 10:26. Ὑμεῖς, ye) It is your own fault.—οὐ γάρ, for ye are not) For the sheep believe, Joh 10:3, “The sheep hear His voice,” 14, “I know My sheep, and am known of Mine,” 16, 27. This discourse, delivered during the Feast of Dedication, has reference to His discourses delivered before the Feast of Dedication.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 10:26 . “But you on your part do not believe” the reason being that you are not of the number of my sheep. Had you been of my sheep you must have believed; because my sheep have these two characteristics, (Joh 10:27 ) they hear my voice and they follow me: (Joh 10:28 ) and these characteristics meet a twofold response in me, “I know them” and “I give them life eternal”. κἀγώ in each case emphatically exhibits the response of Christ to believers. They acknowledge Him by hearing His voice; He acknowledges them, “knows them”. Cf. Joh 10:14 . They follow Him, and He leads them into life eternal. “ Sequela et vita arcte connectuntur,” Bengel. This mention of the gift of life leads Him to enlarge on its perpetuity and its security. οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα , “they shall never perish” ( cf. Joh 10:10 ), but shall enjoy the abundant life I am come to bestow. καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάσει τις αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου , “and no one shall carry them off (Joh 10:12 ) out of my hand” or keeping. Throughout He uses the phraseology of the “Shepherd” parable.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He giveth a reason why they believed not, to wit, because they are none of his sheep.

It is no marvel that there do but a few believe, seeing that all men are by nature untamed beasts: yet notwithstanding God hath his, which he turneth into sheep, and commiteth them unto his Son, and preserveth them against the cruelty of all wild beasts.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said--referring to the whole strain of the Parable of the Sheep, (Joh 10:1, &c.).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. Ye are not of my sheep] Ye have not the disposition of those who come unto me to be instructed and saved: see what follows.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. Because you are not of my sheep. He assigns a higher reason why they do not believe either in his miracles or in his doctrine. It is, because they are reprobate. We must observe Christ’s design; for, since they boasted of being the Church of God, that their unbelief may detract nothing from the authority of the Gospel, he affirms that the gift of believing is a special gift. And, indeed, before that men know God, they must first be known by him, as Paul says, (Galatians 4:9.) On the other hand, those to whom God does not look must always continue to look away from him. If any one murmur at this, arguing that the cause of unbelief dwells in God, because he alone has power to make sheep; I reply, He is free from all blame, for it is only by their voluntary malice that men reject his grace. God does all that is necessary to induce them to believe, but who shall tame wild beasts? This will never be done, till the Spirit of God change them into sheep They who are wild will in vain attempt to throw on God the blame of their wildness, for it belongs to their own nature. In short, Christ means that it is not wonderful, if there are few who obey his Gospel, because all whom the Spirit of God does not subdue to the obedience of faith are wild and fierce beasts. So much the more unreasonable and absurd is it, that the authority of the Gospel should depend on the belief of men; but believers ought rather to consider, that they are the more strongly bound to God, because, while others remain in a state of blindness, they are drawn to Christ by the illumination of the Spirit. Here, too, the ministers of the Gospel have ground of consolation, if their labor be not profitable to all.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

26. as I said unto you] These words are omitted by some of the best authorities, including the Vatican and Sinaitic MSS. But they may possibly have been left out to avoid a difficulty. If they are genuine they are best joined, as in our version, with what precedes. Nowhere in the Gospels does Christ make such a quotation from a previous discourse as we should have if we read, ‘As I said unto you, My sheep hear My voice, &c.’ The arrangement ‘Ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you,’ is better, and the reference is to the general sense of the allegory of the sheep-fold, especially Joh_10:14-15. He and His sheep have most intimate knowledge of one another; therefore these Jews asking who He is prove that they are not His sheep. Comp. Joh_6:36, where there seems to be a similar reference to the general meaning of a previous discourse. It is strange that an objection should have been made to His referring to the allegory after a lapse of two months. There is nothing improbable in His doing so, especially if He had been absent from the city in the interval (see on Joh_10:22). Might not a speaker at the present time refer to a speech made two months before, especially if he had not spoken in public since then?

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But ye believe not,.... In me, as the Messiah:

because ye are not of my sheep; they were not among the sheep given him by his Father, were they, they would have come to him; that is, have believed in him, according to Joh 6:37, they were not the chosen of God, predestinated unto eternal life; for as many as are ordained of God to eternal happiness, do believe in God's own time, Act 13:48; but these not being the elect of God, had not the faith of God's elect. Christ, as the omniscient God, knew this, that they were not the chosen of God; for he was present, when the names of God's elect were written in the book of life; had they been his sheep, he must have known them, for he knows all the sheep, and calls them by name; had they been given him by the Father, he must have known it, and would have owned them as such; but so it was not, and therefore they were left to hardness and unbelief:

as l said unto you: which seems to refer to what follows, since he had said before, that the sheep bear the voice of the shepherd, and follow him, and that he knows them, Joh 10:4. This clause is omitted in the Vulgate Latin version, and in Nonnus, but is in the Greek copies, and Oriental versions.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Ver. 26. Ye believe not, because ye are not, &c.] Reprobates cannot believe, yea, they cannot but resist the external offers of God’s grace. The word, sacraments, and all God’s common temporal favours, are, in respect of external participation, communicated to them by way of concomitancy only, because they are intermixed with the elect.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Are not of my sheep - Are not my people, my followers. You do not possess the spirit of meek and humble disciples. Were it not for pride, and prejudice, and vainglory for your false notions of the Messiah, and from a determination not to believe, you would have learned from my declarations and works that I am the Christ.

As I said unto you - Compare Joh 8:47.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Because you are not of my sheep, refusing to believe in me, and to follow my doctrine, by your own wilful blindness. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, Act 13:48. Here our Saviour giveth this as one reason of the Jews’ unbelief, that they were not of his sheep. Were they not Israelites? Yes, but all are not Israel that are descended of Israel. It seems a very hard interpretation that some would put, upon these words, Ye believe not, because you are not teachable, and fit to be made my sheep; the words are ου γαρ ετε εκ των προβατων των εμων. Nor can such interpretation be paralleled from any other scripture. That by sheep, here, cannot be meant members of the church, is plain; for they were of the church of Israel, whom the Lord led as a flock, as the psalmist speaks, Psa 80:1. That believers, and such as are truly called and sanctified, are not meant, is as plain; for then the sense would be: You believe not because you believe not; besides, our Saviour had before said, he had other sheep that were not of that fold, (by which he meant the Gentiles), such for whom he prayed, Joh 17:20, being such as should believe on him. By sheep therefore he meaneth, certainly, such as were ordained to life, as Act 13:48. Nor will it therefore follow, that God’s not ordaining of them to life, was the near and immediate cause of their not believing; but their own stubborn and perverse wills in not repenting, that they might believe; as our Saviour tells them, Mat 21:32; that is, not turning from their gross and sinful ways, which they might have done by virtue of that common grace of God which was afforded them in the gospel, by the preaching of John the Baptist, and of Christ himself.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. Believe not… not of my sheep—The reference is still to them as false shepherds, as proved by their dealing with the true sheep, the blind-born.

He believed because he was, even before his belief, a predisposed sheep of Christ; they believed not, because they had the opposite predispositions, and so were not his sheep.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He gives the reason of their insensibility or lack of appreciation and faith: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. (for similar construction, este ek , see Mat_26:73Jo Mat 6:65) The clause (kayw), as I said unto you, is rejected by powerful arguments, and commentators cease to discuss whether it belongs to the previous or following clause. In neither case does it appear entirely relevant, although the difficulties felt in either application may be reduced by supposing either one saying or the other to have been virtually embodied in the statements of the parables of Joh_10:1-18.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye do not believe, because ye are not of my sheep - Because ye do not, will not follow me: because ye are proud, unholy, lovers of praise, lovers of the world, lovers of pleasure, not of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

26. Ye believe not, because ye are not my sheep. Not from lack of proof, but from a lack within themselves. If, as his sheep, they would follow (hear and obey), they would recognize him.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

26 Omit. καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν with אBKLM1.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26.] The difficulty of καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν is considerable warrant for its genuineness: and it comes much more naturally with this than with the following verse. I believe it to refer more to the whole allegory, than to any explicit saying of this kind; and this is shewn to my mind by the following words in ver. 27:—the minor proposition, ‘but ye hear not my voice,’ being understood. This was a corollary from the allegory, and thus it might be said καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν. This reference to the allegory some two months after it was spoken, has been used by the rationalists as an argument against the authenticity of the narrative. But, as Meyer observes, it in reality implies that the conflict with the Jewish authorities is here again taken up after that interval, during which it had not broken out.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. ἀλλὰ ὑμε͂ις οὐ πιστεύετε, ὅτι οὐκ ἐστέ κτλ. So אBDLWΘ, but the rec. has οὐ γὰρ ἐστέ. The thought is the same as that at 8:47, where see the note. Those who are not of the flock of Christ have no faith. This is natural, for faith, in the Fourth Gospel, is born of a certain spiritual affinity.

The rec. adds at the end of the verse καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν, with AD; but these words are not found in אBLWΘ, and cannot be regarded as part of the true text. If genuine, they must refer to something that has preceded, and cannot be associated with what follows (Tatian links them with v. 27). It is not easy to find any previous saying of Jesus in Jn., to which καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν could be referred at this point, if the words were genuine, other than such passages as 8:47 mentioned above (cf. 6:36, 11:40, 14:2). Even if the traditional arrangement of the text be followed, there is nothing in vv. 1-18 which says expressly that those who are not of Christ’s flock have no faith. Probably καθὼς εἶπον ὑμῖν is the interpolation of a scribe working on the displaced text, who wished to connect τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμά of vv. 26, 27, with those of whom (as he supposed) vv. 1-18 had already told.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As I said unto you. The best texts omit.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.