John 10

Io 10.1Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs: quī nōn intrat per ōstium in ovīle ovium, sed ascendit aliunde, ille fūr est et latrō.

Amen, amen I say to you: the one who does not go in through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up from elsewhere, that one is a thief and a robber.

Note. Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs: John's doubled 'amen' (a Hebrew word meaning 'truly, so be it') marks a solemn statement. quī nōn intrat … ille fūr est: the relative clause comes first and ille picks it up: 'the one who …, that one is …'. ovīle ovium: 'fold of the sheep'; ovīle is the noun from ovis.

Io 10.2Quī autem intrat per ōstium, pāstor est ovium.

But the one who goes in through the door, shepherd he is of the sheep.

Note. pāstor est ovium: the predicate noun pāstor is put before est for emphasis. The image of the shepherd and his flock is old in Hebrew scripture, where kings and God himself are called shepherds of the people.

Io 10.3Huic ōstiārius aperit, et ovēs vōcem eius audiunt, et propriās ovēs vocat nōminātim, et ēdūcit eās.

To this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep his voice hear, and his own sheep he calls by name, and leads them out.

Note. Huic: dative with aperit, 'for this one'. nōminātim: adverb, 'by name'. The order ovēs vōcem eius audiunt (object before verb) is ordinary Latin.

Io 10.4Et cum propriās ovēs ēmīserit, ante eās vādit: et ovēs illum sequuntur, quia sciunt vōcem eius.

And when his own sheep he shall have sent out, before them he goes: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

Note. cum … ēmīserit: cum with the perfect subjunctive, here really a future-perfect sense: 'when he has sent out'. vādit: vādō, 'go', very common in the Vulgate where classical prose would use eō or prōcēdō.

Io 10.5Aliēnum autem nōn sequuntur, sed fugiunt ab eō: quia nōn nōvērunt vōcem aliēnōrum.

A stranger, however, they do not follow, but flee from him: because they have not known the voice of strangers.

Note. Aliēnum: an adjective used as a noun, 'a stranger'. nōvērunt: perfect of nōscō, 'have come to know', which means 'know'.

Io 10.6Hoc prōverbium dīxit eīs Iēsus: illī autem nōn cognōvērunt quid loquerētur eīs.

This figure of speech Jesus told them: they, however, did not understand what he was saying to them.

Note. prōverbium: here 'figure of speech, parable', not a 'proverb' in the English sense. quid loquerētur: indirect question with the imperfect subjunctive (loquor is deponent).

Io 10.7Dīxit ergō eīs iterum Iēsus: Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs, quia ego sum ōstium ovium.

Said therefore to them again Jesus: Amen, amen I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep.

Note. Dīxit … quia ego sum: 'recitative' quia, which simply introduces the direct words; English drops it. ostium ovium: 'the door for the sheep'.

Io 10.8Omnēs quotquot vēnērunt, fūrēs sunt, et latrōnēs, et nōn audiērunt eōs ovēs.

All, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to them.

Note. quotquot: indeclinable, 'as many as'. audiērunt = audīvērunt, a contracted perfect.

Io 10.9Ego sum ōstium. Per mē sī quis introierit, salvābitur: et ingrediētur, et ēgrediētur, et pāscua inveniet.

I am the door. Through me if anyone shall have entered, he will be saved: and he will go in, and will go out, and pasture will find.

Note. sī quis introierit: quis#2 after sī means 'anyone'; introierit is future perfect, 'shall have entered'. pāscua: neuter plural, 'pasture(s)'.

Io 10.10Fūr nōn venit nisi ut fūrētur, et mactet, et perdat. Ego vēnī ut vītam habeant, et abundantius habeant.

The thief does not come except to steal, and slaughter, and destroy. I have come so that life they may have, and more abundantly may have it.

Note. nisi ut fūrētur: 'except to steal': nisi + ut purpose clause. fūror (deponent), 'steal', is a different word from furor 'rage'. abundantius: comparative adverb of abundanter.

Io 10.11Ego sum pāstor bonus. Bonus pāstor animam suam dat prō ovibus suīs.

I am the shepherd good. The good shepherd his life gives for his sheep.

Note. anima here means 'life', not 'soul': animam dare prō 'to give one's life for'. Note the chiasmus pāstor bonus … bonus pāstor.

Io 10.12Mercēnārius autem, et quī nōn est pāstor, cuius nōn sunt ovēs propriae, videt lupum venientem, et dīmittit ovēs, et fugit: et lupus rapit, et dispergit ovēs;

The hired man, however, and one who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and lets go the sheep, and flees: and the wolf snatches, and scatters the sheep;

Note. mercēnārius: 'hired man, paid worker', someone who works for wages. cuius nōn sunt ovēs propriae: 'whose own the sheep are not'. lupum venientem: present participle agreeing with lupum, 'the wolf coming'.

Io 10.13mercēnārius autem fugit, quia mercēnārius est, et nōn pertinet ad eum dē ovibus.

the hired man, however, flees, because a hired man he is, and it does not concern him about the sheep.

Note. nōn pertinet ad eum dē ovibus: impersonal pertinet, 'it does not matter to him about the sheep'.

Io 10.14Ego sum pāstor bonus: et cognōscō meās, et cognōscunt mē meae.

I am the shepherd good: and I know mine, and know me mine.

Note. meās … meae: the possessives stand alone; supply ovēs: 'I know mine, and mine know me'.

Io 10.15Sīcut nōvit mē Pater, et ego agnōscō Patrem: et animam meam pōnō prō ovibus meīs.

Just as knows me the Father, I too recognize the Father: and my life I lay down for my sheep.

Note. Sīcut … et: 'just as … so too'. agnōscō: 'recognize, acknowledge', a compound of nōscō. animam pōnere: 'to lay down one's life'.

Io 10.16Et aliās ovēs habeō, quae nōn sunt ex hōc ovīlī: et illās oportet mē addūcere, et vōcem meam audient, et fīet ūnum ovīle et ūnus pāstor.

And other sheep I have, which are not from this fold: and those it is necessary for me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there will become one fold and one shepherd.

Note. illās oportet mē addūcere: oportet with accusative and infinitive, 'it is necessary for me to bring them'. fīet: future of fīō, 'there will be'.

Io 10.17Proptereā mē dīligit Pater: quia ego pōnō animam meam, ut iterum sūmam eam.

On this account me loves the Father: because I lay down my life, so that again I may take it up.

Note. Proptereā … quia: 'for this reason … that'. ut iterum sūmam eam: purpose clause, 'in order to take it up again'.

Io 10.18Nēmō tollit eam ā mē: sed ego pōnō eam ā mēipsō, et potestātem habeō pōnendī eam, et potestātem habeō iterum sūmendī eam. Hoc mandātum accēpī ā Patre meō.

No one takes it from me: but I lay it down of myself, and power I have of laying it down, and power I have again of taking it up. This command I received from my Father.

Note. ā meipsō: 'of my own accord'; -pse strengthens the pronoun. pōnendī, sūmendī: gerunds in the genitive depending on potestātem, 'power of laying down'. mandātum: 'command, instruction'.

Io 10.19Dissēnsiō iterum facta est inter Iūdaeōs propter sermōnēs hōs.

A division again was made among the Jews on account of these words.

Note. Dissēnsiō: 'disagreement, split'. Iūdaeī in John often means the Judean authorities and crowds who oppose Jesus; it is a narrative group, not the whole people.

Io 10.20Dīcēbant autem multī ex ipsīs: Daemonium habet, et īnsānit: quid eum audītis?

Were saying, however, many of them: A demon he has, and he is mad: why do you listen to him?

Note. Daemonium: a Greek loanword, 'demon, evil spirit'. īnsānit: 'he is mad'. quid: 'why?'

Io 10.21Aliī dīcēbant: Haec verba nōn sunt daemonium habentis: numquid daemonium potest caecōrum oculōs aperīre?

Others were saying: These words are not of one having a demon: surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind?

Note. daemonium habentis: genitive of a present participle used as a noun, 'of one having a demon': the words do not belong to such a person. numquid expects the answer 'no'.

Io 10.22Facta sunt autem Encaenia in Ierosolymīs, et hiems erat.

There took place, however, the Encaenia in Jerusalem, and winter it was.

Note. Encaenia: Greek 'renewal', the feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), held in winter to recall the rededication of the Temple in 164 BC. Ierosolymīs: ablative of the neuter plural Ierosolyma.

Io 10.23Et ambulābat Iēsus in templō, in porticū Salomōnis.

And was walking Jesus in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

Note. porticus Salōmōnis: a colonnade along the eastern side of the Temple courts, named after King Solomon.

Io 10.24Circumdedērunt ergō eum Iūdaeī, et dīcēbant eī: Quoūsque animam nostram tollis? sī tū es Chrīstus, dīc nōbīs palam.

Surrounded therefore him the Jews, and were saying to him: How long do you take away our soul? If you are the Christ, tell us openly.

Note. Quōusque animam nostram tollis?: literally 'how long do you take away our soul?', an idiom for 'how long will you keep us in suspense?' palam: adverb, 'openly'.

Io 10.25Respondit eīs Iēsus: Loquor vōbīs, et nōn crēditis: opera quae ego faciō in nōmine Patris meī, haec testimōnium perhibent dē mē:

Answered them Jesus: I speak to you, and you do not believe: the works which I do in the name of my Father, these bear testimony about me:

Note. testimōnium perhibent: 'bear witness'; perhibeō is a favourite verb of John's Latin. haec picks up opera: 'these works'.

Io 10.26sed vōs nōn crēditis, quia nōn estis ex ovibus meīs.

but you do not believe, because you are not from my sheep.

Io 10.27Ovēs meae vōcem meam audiunt, et ego cognōscō eās, et sequuntur mē:

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

Note. Ovēs meae vōcem meam: John often builds sentences from short parallel clauses joined by et.

Io 10.28et ego vītam aeternam dō eīs, et nōn perībunt in aeternum, et nōn rapiet eās quisquam dē manū meā.

and I life eternal give to them, and they will not perish into eternity, and will not snatch them anyone from my hand.

Note. in aeternum: 'for ever'. quisquam: 'anyone', used after the negative nōn.

Io 10.29Pater meus quod dedit mihi, maius omnibus est: et nēmō potest rapere dē manū Patris meī.

My Father, what he has given me, greater than all is: and no one can snatch from the hand of my Father.

Note. quod dedit mihi, maius omnibus est: 'what he has given me is greater than all'; omnibus is ablative of comparison. Some manuscripts read 'my Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all'; the Vulgate follows the neuter reading.

Io 10.30Ego et Pater ūnum sumus.

I and the Father one are.

Note. ūnum sumus: neuter ūnum, 'one thing', not ūnus 'one person'.

Io 10.31Sustulērunt ergō lapidēs Iūdaeī, ut lapidārent eum.

Took up therefore stones the Jews, so that they might stone him.

Note. lapidārent: imperfect subjunctive in a purpose clause after the past tense sustulērunt (from tollō).

Io 10.32Respondit eīs Iēsus: Multa bona opera ostendī vōbīs ex Patre meō: propter quod eōrum opus mē lapidātis?

Answered them Jesus: Many good works I have shown you from my Father: on account of which of them as a work do you stone me?

Note. propter quod eōrum opus: 'on account of which work of them', i.e. 'for which of these works'.

Io 10.33Respondērunt eī Iūdaeī: Dē bonō opere nōn lapidāmus tē, sed dē blasphēmiā; et quia tū homō cum sīs, facis tēipsum Deum.

Answered him the Jews: For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy; and because you, although a man you are, make yourself God.

Note. tū homō cum sīs: the cum-clause is placed after its subject: 'although you are a man'. facis tēipsum Deum: double accusative, 'you make yourself God'.

Io 10.34Respondit eīs Iēsus: Nōnne scrīptum est in lēge vestrā, Quia ego dīxī: Diī estis?

Answered them Jesus: Is it not written in your law: I said, gods you are?

Note. Diī estis: the quotation is from Psalm 82 (81 in the Vulgate numbering), where judges are called 'gods'. Quia again introduces direct words.

Io 10.35Sī illōs dīxit deōs, ad quōs sermō Deī factus est, et nōn potest solvī Scrīptūra:

If those he called gods, to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be loosed:

Note. Sī illōs dīxit deōs: 'if he called them gods': dīcō with two accusatives. sōlvī: present passive infinitive of solvō, 'be undone, be broken'.

Io 10.36quem Pater sānctificāvit, et mīsit in mundum vōs dīcitis: Quia blasphēmās, quia dīxī: Fīlius Deī sum?

the one whom the Father made holy, and sent into the world, do you say: You blaspheme, because I said: Son of God I am?

Note. The sentence is long: quem Pater sanctificāvit … vōs dīcitis …? 'Do you say of him whom the Father made holy … "you blaspheme"?' The relative clause comes before the main verb.

Io 10.37Sī nōn faciō opera Patris meī, nōlīte crēdere mihi.

If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.

Note. nōlīte crēdere: nōlī/nōlīte + infinitive is the ordinary Latin prohibition, 'do not believe'. crēdō takes the dative: mihi.

Io 10.38Sī autem faciō: etsī mihi nōn vultis crēdere, operibus crēdite, ut cognōscātis, et crēdātis quia Pater in mē est, et ego in Patre.

If, however, I do: even if me you do not want to believe, the works believe, so that you may know, and believe that the Father in me is, and I in the Father.

Note. etsī: 'even if'. operibus crēdite: dative with crēdō. ut cognōscātis et crēdātis: purpose clause; quia after crēdō introduces what is believed ('that the Father is in me').

Io 10.39Quaerēbant ergō eum apprehendere: et exīvit dē manibus eōrum.

Were seeking therefore him to seize: and he went out from their hands.

Note. Quaerēbant … apprehendere: quaerō + infinitive, 'they were trying to seize'. exīvit (exeō): 'he went out', i.e. he escaped.

Io 10.40Et abiit iterum trāns Iordānem, in eum locum ubi erat Iōannēs baptizāns prīmum, et mānsit illīc;

And he went away again across the Jordan, into that place where John was baptizing at first, and he stayed there;

Note. trāns Iordānem: across the Jordan, to the east. baptizāns: present participle with erat, 'was baptizing'. prīmum: adverb, 'at first'.

Io 10.41et multī vēnērunt ad eum, et dīcēbant: Quia Iōannēs quidem signum fēcit nūllum.

and many came to him, and were saying: John indeed a sign did none.

Note. Quia again introduces direct speech. signum fēcit nūllum: the adjective nūllum is separated from signum for emphasis.

Io 10.42Omnia autem quaecumque dīxit Iōannēs dē hōc, vēra erant. Et multī crēdidērunt in eum.

All things, however, whatever said John about this man, true were. And many believed in him.

Note. quaecumque: 'whatever things', neuter plural relative. dē hōc: 'about this man'.