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Latest Analysis of a Jesus Verse

John 10:3 To him the porter openeth;
Context:

The thief sneaks into the sheep pen rather than use the gate, which is symbolic of the soul.

Spoken to:
audience
Greek Verse:

John 10:3 τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα φωνεῖ κατ᾽ ὄνομα καὶ ἐξάγει αὐτά.

 KJV Verse:

John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
NIV Verse:

John 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Literal Alternative:

For this one here, the gatekeeper opens up. And not only do the sheep hear that voice of his but also, those his own sheep, he voices individually a name and he leads them out.

 Hidden Meaning:

The word translated as "to him" or "for him" is not the simple pronoun that means "that one there" or "this one here." Using it is a subtle way of Jesus suggesting that he is the shepherd. The verb translated as "opens" also means to "disclose" or "reveal." It is not the simple verb "open," but one that means literally "opens up." The idea is that the sheep are revealed by the gatekeeper, which is a subtle way of suggesting that the gatekeeper is the Father.

The noun translated as "voice" and the verb translated as "calls" are from the same root. There is another Greek word that is usually translated as "call," which is the source of the English word "call." For this word, which is the root of our word "phonograph," I prefer "voice" because it, like "call," works both as a noun and a verb.  The sense is "hear his voice" and "he voices individually a name." However, the concept is more of a "sound" than of spoken words, so the "sound of his voice" and "voices the sounds of each name" may be closer. The word for "sheep" has a sense of "flock" because a plural neuter word in Greek works more like a singular noun. So the "by name" phrase turns the group into individuals.

The last verb is translated as "lead out," but this verb is much more meaningful in Greek. The focus is on the "out" not the "lead." The concept is freeing "the heard" from the "pen" in which they are enclosed. The verb is used to describe birds leaving their nest. We talk about children going out on their own in the same way, but here, they are guided on their way as they are released into the larger world.
My Takeaway:

Being called by our true name frees us.

For detailed analysis of each word of original Greek, KJV and NIV translations, and more, click here.

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About this Site

This site provides tools so you can analyze what Jesus said in Greek even though you haven't invested the decade or so needed to master the language. From the information here, YOU CAN INTERPRET JESUS ACCURATELY FOR YOURSELF! This is impossible using any number of existing English translations. The articles about each verse provide detailed information on the Greek words, their meaning, and their form, and comparing them to the most popular translations. The goal is to reveal what is lost or obscured in translation by those wanting Jesus's words to support some given doctrine.

It takes me a couple of years to update each of the over 2,000 verses to my current standards. If you are interested in a specific verse that seems like it needs updating, let me know and I will update it as soon as I can.

This site does not promote any religious point of view. On the contrary, it seeks to avoid the competing dogmas that have shaped Biblical translation. Most tools for the study of "Biblical Greek" explain the Greek only in terms of how the Bible has been translated, not in terms of how people of the time would have heard Jesus.

Everyday word meanings at Jesus's time have been given a religious meaning they didn't have at the time. For example, the word for  "student" becomes "disciple;'" the word for "writings" becomes "scripture."  Words such as "prophet," "angels," "baptism," "hypocrite," "Christ," and many more are not translated at all but adopted into our language with their new, religious meanings. Different Greek words are hidden in a single English one so that the distinctions Jesus made are lost. Two different words are conflated into "love" but one means "enjoy" and the other, "care about." At least three different words with different meanings are translated as "good." Three others, are simplified as "evil." Four words are translated as "world." You may know that the word for "sin" doesn't mean that, not exactly, but did you know that the word translated as "forgive" doesn't mean that either? The Greek word translated as "word" doesn't mean "word" are all. It's that bad!

Now, perhaps none of this matters today to most Christians or to anti-Christians who think they know what Jesus said, but this site is for those who think the distinctions are important. 

Most Recent Question

Question:
Does John 6:37 mean that once I’m saved, no matter what sin I do, if I come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and repent from that sin, I will not be cast out?
Answer:

I don't see anything about asking forgiveness and repenting nor anything about "being saved." All of these are Christian concepts invented after Jesus. He doesn't use these ideas at all. What is translated as "forgive" means "let go" as in dropping something. What is translated as "repent" means "change your mind" as in thinking differently. What gets translated as "being saved" is the idea of being "rescued" not from "evil" but from "worthlessness."

None of this is in the verses. Or in its context. His ideas in John 6:37 are simpler.  You are either returning to Jesus or moving away from him. Those who the Father has given him...
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