John 10 · Verse 28

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.
John 10:28, King James Version

John 10:28 in other translations

BSBI give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
WEBI give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
ASVand I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
YLTand life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish--to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand;
DARBYand I give them life eternal; and they shall never perish, and no one shall seize them out of my hand.
BBEAnd I give them eternal life; they will never come to destruction, and no one will ever take them out of my hand.
WebsterAnd I give to them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

What does John 10:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 10:27-30

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

Read the full comment on John 10:27-30 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 28. I give unto them eternal life. See Jn 5:24.

Shall never perish. To perish here means to be destroyed, or to be punished in hell. Mt 10:28: "Which is able to destroy (the same word) both soul and body in hell."

Mt 18:14: "It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Jn 3:15: "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish." Rom 2:12: "They who have sinned without law shall also perish without law." Jn 17:12, 1Cor 1:18. In all these places the word refers to future punishment, and the declaration of the Saviour is that his followers, his true disciples, shall never be cast away. The original is expressed with remarkable strength: "They shall not be destroyed for ever." Syriac: "They shall not perish to eternity." This is spoken of all Christians--that is, of all who ever possess the character of true followers of Christ, and who can be called his flock.

Shall any. The word any refers to any power that might attempt it. It will apply either to men or to devils. It is an affirmation that no man, however eloquent in error, or persuasive in infidelity, or cunning in argument, or mighty in rank; and that no devil with all his malice, power, cunning, or allurements, shall be able to pluck them from his hand.

Pluck them. In the original to rob; to seize and bear away as a robber does his prey. Jesus holds them so secure and so certainly that no foe can surprise him as a robber does, or overcome him by force.

My hand. The hand is that by which we hold or secure an object. It means that Jesus has them safely in his own care and keeping. Comp. Rom 8:38,39.

(b) "they shall never perish" Jn 17:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 They shall never perish - Why? Because they hear my voice, and follow me; therefore I know, I approve of and love them, and give them eternal life. They who continue to hear Christ's voice, and to follow him, shall never perish. They give themselves up to God - believe so on Jesus that he lives in their hearts: God hath given unto them eternal life, and this life is in his Son; and he that hath the Son hath life, 1Jn 5:11, 1Jn 5:12. Now it is evident that only those who have Christ living in and governing their souls, so that they possess the mind that was in him, are his sheep - are those that shall never perish, because they have this eternal life abiding in them: therefore to talk of a man's being one of the elect - one that shall never perish - one who shall have eternal life - who shall never be plucked out of the hand of God, etc., while he lives in sin, has no Christ in his heart, has either never received or fallen away from the grace of God, is as contrary to common sense as it is to the nature and testimonies of the Most High. Final perseverance implies final faithfulness - he that endures to the end shall be saved - he that is faithful unto death shall have a crown of life. And will any man attempt to say that he who does not endure to the end, and is unfaithful, shall ever enter into life?

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 10:28 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.

κἀγὼkagōand I myselfG1473
δίδωμιdidōmigiveG1325
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222
αἰώνιον,aiōnioneternal,G166
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐoucertainlyG3756
μὴmēnotG3361
ἀπόλωνταιapolōntaishall they perishG622
εἰςeistoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
αἰῶνα,aiōnaage,G165
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐχouchneverG3756
ἁρπάσειharpaseiwill seizeG726
τιςtisanyoneG5100
αὐτὰautathemG846
ἐκekout ofG1537
τῆςtēstheG3588
χειρόςcheiroshandG5495
μου.mouof Me.G3165

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

Cross references for John 10:28

  • John 6:39-40

    And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

  • John 6:37

    All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

  • John 3:15-16

    That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  • Hebrews 7:25

    Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

  • John 18:9

    That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

  • Romans 8:29

    For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

  • Isaiah 54:17

    No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

  • Philippians 1:6

    Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

  • John 4:14

    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

  • 1 John 2:25

    And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

  • Romans 8:1

    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  • Jude 1:24

    Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I give.
3:16,36; 5:39,40; 6:27,40,47,68; 11:25; 17:2; Ro 5:21; 6:23; 1Ti 1:16
1Jo 2:25; 5:13-20; Jude 1:21
they.
3:15; 4:14; 5:24; 6:37,39,40; 14:19; 17:12; 18:9; 1Sa 2:9; Job 17:9
Ps 37:28; 103:17,18; 125:1,2; Pr 4:18; 24:16; Isa 45:17; 54:17; 55:3
Jer 31:3,34; 32:40; Mr 13:22; Ro 5:2,9,17; 8:1,29,33-39; Php 1:6
Col 3:3,4; 2Th 2:13; 1Pe 1:5; Heb 7:25; 1Jo 2:19; 5:13,18; Jude 1:1,24
neither.
17:11,12; De 33:3; Ps 31:5; Lu 22:31,32; 23:46; Ac 7:59; 2Ti 1:12
Heb 7:25

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

Context

  • 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.

  • John 10:29

    My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Read all of John 10

John 10:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y yo les doy vida eterna: y no perecerán para siempre, ni nadie las arrebatará de mi mano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et moi, je leur donne la vie éternelle, et elles ne périront jamais; et personne ne les ravira de ma main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und ich gebe ihnen ewiges Leben, und sie gehen nicht verloren ewiglich, und niemand wird sie aus meiner Hand rauben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ego vitam æternam do eis, et non peribunt in æternum, et non rapiet eas quisquam de manu mea.