John 10:11

10:11 “I am the good ¹  shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life ²  for the sheep.

John 10:18

10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ³  of my own free will. ⁴  I have the authority ⁵  to lay it down, and I have the authority ⁶  to take it back again. This commandment ⁷  I received from my Father.”

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¹ tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).

² tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”

sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).

³ tn Or “give it up.”

⁴ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

⁵ tn Or “I have the right.”

⁶ tn Or “I have the right.”

⁷ tn Or “order.”