John 10 8

John 10:8 kjv

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

John 10:8 nkjv

All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

John 10:8 niv

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.

John 10:8 esv

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

John 10:8 nlt

All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.

John 10 verses

John 10 8 Meaning

John 10:8 asserts that those who came before Jesus, claiming to be the legitimate shepherds or saviors, but did not operate under God’s authority or truly care for the flock, were in fact spiritual "thieves and robbers." The "sheep," representing God’s true people, inherently discerning of the true Shepherd’s voice, did not follow or listen to these illegitimate claimants, thereby distinguishing them from God’s true messengers.

John 10 8 Context

John 10:8 follows Jesus' discourse on the true shepherd and the door of the sheepfold, building on the preceding events of John 9. In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind, leading to a confrontation with the Pharisees. Their spiritual blindness and expulsion of the healed man demonstrate their failure as shepherds of Israel. Chapter 10 immediately addresses this by presenting Jesus as the legitimate and caring shepherd, contrasting Him with false spiritual leaders who prey on the flock. The "thieves and robbers" in verse 8 directly refer to those who previously sought to gain power or followers without legitimate divine authority, especially contrasting with Jesus who is the 'Door' (v. 7) and the 'Good Shepherd' (v. 11) who lays down His life. Historically, Israel had seen many self-proclaimed leaders, false prophets, and oppressive rulers who exploited the people. Jesus implicitly condemns these and any others, including the current Jewish leadership (like the Pharisees), who did not enter by the divine "door" and whose intentions were not for the sheep's welfare but for their own gain.

John 10 8 Word analysis

• All (πάντες - pantes): Universal in scope. It refers to everyone in a specific category: those who claimed legitimate leadership or divine authority prior to Jesus, but did not come according to God’s appointed way or with God’s true heart.

• who ever came (οἱ ἦλθον - hoi ē̄lthon): Refers to those who presented themselves or arrived with the claim to lead or guide. The emphasis is on their self-appointed nature, or their rejection of the true path, rather than just chronological presence.

• before Me (πρὸ ἐμοῦ - pro emou): Crucial phrase. It does not refer to legitimate figures like Abraham, Moses, or the prophets, who genuinely spoke for God and pointed towards Christ. Rather, it indicates those who came claiming to be a true spiritual leader, messiah, or legitimate access to God, apart from or in opposition to Jesus and the way of God's prior revelation which culminated in Him. These are those who tried to usurp His unique role or divert people from the path that ultimately led to Him.

• are thieves (κλέπται - kleptai): Suggests stealthy, insidious actions. These are individuals who clandestinely steal what does not belong to them – spiritual loyalty, the devotion due to God, and the spiritual well-being of the flock, often through deception.

• and robbers (καὶ λῃσταὶ - kai lēstai): Denotes violent, forceful appropriation. These individuals not only steal but also assault or oppress the flock, often seeking material gain or power, causing spiritual injury or even death to the sheep they supposedly lead. They are driven by selfish motives, plundering the people entrusted to their care.

• but (ἀλλά - alla): Introduces a sharp contrast.

• the sheep (τὰ πρόβατα - ta probata): Refers to God's chosen people, those who truly belong to Him, having a spiritual nature that recognizes their true Shepherd.

• did not hear them (οὐκ ἤκουσαν αὐτῶν - ouk ēkousan autōn): Signifies that God’s true flock did not heed or follow the deceptive and harmful messages of these false leaders. This is not a physical inability to hear but a spiritual discernment and rejection, implying divine protection and the sheep's innate recognition of the true Shepherd's voice.

• "All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers": This group encompasses false prophets throughout Israel's history (e.g., Jer 23; Ezek 34), self-proclaimed messiahs who exploited the people (like those mentioned by Gamaliel in Acts 5:36-37), and corrupt religious leaders (like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day) who pursued self-glory and gain instead of tending God’s flock. They sought to rule over or exploit God's people without God's authorization or genuine care, diverting them from the true path to salvation found only in Jesus.

• "but the sheep did not hear them": This phrase highlights the divine enablement of God’s true people to discern the voice of their true Shepherd from the voice of strangers and false leaders (Jn 10:4-5, 27). It speaks to a spiritual discernment and God’s sovereign work in preserving His flock from destructive lies. They were not swayed by empty promises or threats because their spirit was attuned to the genuine truth.

John 10 8 Bonus section

The concept of "thieves and robbers" aligns with the two ways the religious leadership of Jesus' time acted: secretly (thieves) undermining true faith, and overtly (robbers) oppressing the people and seizing authority that was not theirs by divine right. The failure of the sheep to hear these false leaders signifies that salvation and true spiritual connection are sovereignly maintained by God, distinguishing those who are truly His from those who are merely nominal followers or easily misled. This verse implicitly sets up Jesus' subsequent statements about giving abundant life, contrasting with the "thieves" who come only "to steal and kill and destroy" (Jn 10:10).

John 10 8 Commentary

John 10:8 clarifies Jesus' exclusive claim as the only legitimate spiritual authority and access point to God. The "thieves and robbers" represent all previous, self-appointed spiritual leaders or messianic claimants who sought to guide or exploit God’s people without truly serving as faithful under-shepherds or entering by the legitimate divine "door," which is Jesus Himself (Jn 10:7). They were characterized by selfish motives and destructive actions (stealth and violence, spiritually speaking). The legitimate prophets of old, such as Moses and Isaiah, are not included in this condemnation because they did not come "before" Jesus in a way that circumvented or usurped His unique role; rather, they came for Him, pointing the way to Him. The assurance that "the sheep did not hear them" underscores the spiritual discernment of God’s true flock, whose inherent spiritual capacity, granted by God, allows them to recognize and follow the voice of their true Shepherd, Jesus, rejecting any counterfeit. This discernment acts as a divine protection, affirming that God's elect will ultimately not be led astray by those who would steal, kill, and destroy.