John 10 · Verse 27

John 10:27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:27, King James Version

John 10:27 in other translations

BSBMy sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
WEBMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
ASVMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
YLTaccording as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me,
DARBYMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;
BBEMy sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me:
WebsterMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

What does John 10:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 10:27-30
27-30. My sheep hear my voice, &c.--(See on Joh 10:8).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 27. My sheep. My church, my people, those who have the true spirit of my followers. The name is given to his people because it was an illustration which would be well understood in a country abounding in flocks. There is also a striking resemblance, which he proceeds to state, between them.

Hear my voice. See Jn 10:3,4. Applied to Christians, it means that they hear and obey his commandments.

I know them. See Jn 10:14.

They follow me. A flock follows its shepherd to pastures and streams, Jn 10:3. Christians not only obey Christ, but they imitate him; they go where his Spirit and providence lead them; they yield themselves to his guidance, and seek to be led by him. When Jesus was upon earth many of his disciples followed or attended him from place to place. Hence Christians are called his followers, and in Rev 14:4 they are described as "they that follow the Lamb."

(a) "My sheep hear my voice" Jn 10:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 My sheep hear my voice - But ye will not hear: - my sheep follow me; but ye will neither follow nor acknowledge me. Any person who reads without prejudice may easily see, that our Lord does not at all insinuate that these persons could not believe, because God had made it impossible to them; but simply because they did not hear and follow Christ, which the whole of our blessed Lord's discourse proves that they might have done. The sheep of Christ are not those who are included in any eternal decree, to the exclusion of others from the yearnings of the bowels of eternal mercy; but they are those who hear, believe in, follow, and obey the Savior of the world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 10:22-30

All who have any thing to say to Christ, may find him in the temple. Christ would make us to believe; we make ourselves doubt. The Jews understood his meaning, but could not form his words into a full charge against him. He described the gracious disposition and happy state of his sheep; they heard and believed his word, followed him as his faithful disciples, and none of them should perish; for the Son and the…

Read the full comment on John 10:22-30 →

John 10:27 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.

τὰtaTheG3588
πρόβαταprobatasheepG4263
τὰta<the>G3588
ἐμὰemaof MineG1473
τῆςtēsto theG3588
φωνῆςphōnēsvoiceG5456
μουmouof MineG3165
ἀκούουσιν,akouousinthey listenG191
κἀγὼkagōand I myselfG1473
γινώσκωginōskōknowG1097
αὐτά,autathem,G846
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀκολουθοῦσίνakolouthousinthey followG190
μοι,moiMe,G3165

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

Cross references for John 10:27

  • John 10:16

    And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

  • John 10:14

    I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

  • Revelation 3:20

    Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

  • 1 Corinthians 8:3

    But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

  • John 10:3-4

    To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

  • Hebrews 3:7

    Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

  • John 5:25

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

  • John 8:12

    Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

  • John 10:8

    All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

  • Galatians 4:9

    But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

  • John 12:26

    If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • John 8:43

    Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sheep.
4,8,16; 5:25; 8:43; Mt 17:5; Ac 3:23; Heb 3:7; Re 3:20
and I.
3,14; Mt 7:23; 25:12; Lu 13:27; 1Co 8:3; Ga 4:9; 2Ti 2:19
and they.
4; 8:12; 12:26; 21:22; 1Ki 18:21; Mt 16:24; Mr 8:34; 10:21; Lu 9:23
Re 14:4

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

Context

  • John 10:26

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

  • John 10:27

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

  • John 10:28

    And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Read all of John 10

John 10:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mis ovejas oyen mi voz, y yo las conozco, y me siguen;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mes brebis écoutent ma voix, et moi je les connais, et elles me suivent,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Meine Schafe hören meine Stimme, und ich kenne sie, und sie folgen mir;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Oves meæ vocem meam audiunt, et ego cognosco eas, et sequuntur me: