John 10 · Verse 12

John 10:12

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

John 10:12, King James Version

John 10:12 in other translations

BSB	The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.
WEB	He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
ASV	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:
YLT	and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;
DARBY	but he who serves for wages, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf seizes them and scatters the sheep.
BBE	He who is a servant, and not the keeper or the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming and goes in flight, away from the sheep; and the wolf comes down on them and sends them in all directions:
Webster	But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

What does John 10:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 10:7-14

7-14. I am the door of the sheep--that is, the way in to the fold, with all blessed privileges, both for shepherds and sheep (compare Joh 14:6; Ep 2:18).

Read the full comment on John 10:7-14 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 12. A hireling. A man employed to take care of the sheep, to whom wages is paid. As he does not own the sheep, and guards them merely for pay, rather than risk his life he would leave the flock to the ravages of wild beasts. The word translated hireling is often employed in a good sense; but here it denotes one who is unfaithful to his trust; and especially those ministers who preach only for support, and who are unwilling to encounter any danger or to practise any self-denial for the welfare of the church of God. They are those who have no boldness in the cause of their Master, but who, rather than lose their reputation or place, would see the church corrupted and wasted by its spiritual foes.

Whose own the sheep are not. Who does not own the sheep.

(k) "leaveth the sheep" Eze 34:2-6, Zech 11:17

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12 But he that is a hireling - Or, as my old MS. Bible reads it, the marchaunt, he who makes merchandise of men's souls; bartering them, and his own too, for filthy lucre. Let not the reader apply this, or any of the preceding censures, to any particular class or order of men: every religious party may have a hireling priest, or minister; and where the provision is the greatest there the danger is most. Whose own the sheep are not - A hireling priest, who has never been the instrument of bringing souls to God, will not abide with them in the time of danger or persecution. They are not the produce of his labor, faith, and prayers: he has no other interest in their welfare than that which comes from the fleece and the fat. The hireling counts the sheep his own, no longer than they are profitable to him; the good shepherd looks upon them as his, so long as he can be profitable to them. Among the ancient Jews some kept their own flocks, others hired shepherds to keep them for them. And every owner must naturally have felt more interest in the preservation of his flock than the hireling could possibly feel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 10:10-18

Christ is a good Shepherd; many who were not thieves, yet were careless in their duty, and by their neglect the flock was much hurt. Bad principles are the root of bad practices. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand his life of him, he laid it down of himself for our redemption…

Read the full comment on John 10:10-18 →

John 10:12 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁhotheG3588

μισθωτὸςmisthōtoshired servantG3411

καὶkaihoweverG2532

οὐκouknotG3756

ὢνōnbeingG1510

ποιμήν,poimēn[the] shepherd,G4166

οὗhouwhoseG3739

οὐκouknotG3756

ἔστινestinareG1510

τὰtatheG3588

πρόβαταprobatasheepG4263

ἴδια,idia[his] own,G2398

θεωρεῖtheōreihe seesG2334

τὸνtontheG3588

λύκονlukonwolfG3074

ἐρχόμενονerchomenoncomingG2064

καὶkaiandG2532

ἀφίησινaphiēsinhe leavesG863

τὰtatheG3588

πρόβαταprobatasheepG4263

καὶkaiandG2532

φεύγει,pheugeiflees —G5343

καὶkaiandG2532

ὁhotheG3588

λύκοςlukoswolfG3074

ἁρπάζειharpazeisnatchesG726

αὐτὰautathemG846

καὶkaiandG2532

σκορπίζει.skorpizeiscatters —.G4650

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 10:12

2 Peter 2:3
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Acts 20:29
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Zechariah 11:16-17
For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
Ezekiel 34:2-6
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. …
Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
1 Peter 5:2
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1 Timothy 3:8
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Titus 1:7
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
1 Timothy 3:3
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
2 Timothy 4:10
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Isaiah 56:10-12
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he that.
3; Isa 56:10-12; Eze 34:2-6; Zec 11:16,17; 1Ti 3:3,8; 2Ti 4:10
Tit 1:7; 1Pe 5:2; 2Pe 2:3
the wolf coming.
Mt 7:15; 10:16; Ac 20:29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

John 10:11
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:12
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
John 10:13
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Read all of John 10

John 10:12 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Mas el asalariado, y que no es el pastor, de quien no son propias las ovejas, ve al lobo que viene, y deja las ovejas, y huye, y el lobo las arrebata, y esparce las ovejas.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	mais l’homme qui reçoit des gages, et qui n’est pas le berger, à qui les brebis n’appartiennent pas en propre, voit venir le loup, et laisse les brebis, et s’enfuit; et le loup les ravit, et il disperse les brebis.
German Elberfelder 1871	Der Mietling aber und der nicht Hirte ist, dem die Schafe nicht eigen sind, sieht den Wolf kommen und verläßt die Schafe und flieht; und der Wolf raubt sie und zerstreut die Schafe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Mercenarius autem, et qui non est pastor, cujus non sunt oves propriæ, videt lupum venientem, et dimittit oves, et fugit: et lupus rapit, et dispergit oves;