Lost In Translation: John 10:27-30

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

This article argues for hearing the voice of Jesus instead of the voices of others who think he meant something entirely different from what he said.

Before Jesus said this, people asked Jesus whether or not he is the Christ (the “Anointed”) and why he doesn't tell them plainly. He responds by saying his deeds make this clear. If they didn’t trust his deeds, it was because they were not his sheep.

John 10:27

Jesus goes on to say in John 10:27:

NIV: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I highlight the word “know” because there are two different Greek words that are translated as “know” in the New Testament, and they mean very different ways of knowing. We cannot tell which kind of knowing Jesus meant when we read the English translation. The “know” used here has the sense of learning, "to know by reflection or observation. It implies knowing something that others cannot easily see or, in this case, hear. Jesus learns by observing carefully, over time, who hears his voice.

The word translated here as “voice” primarily means “sound.” Jesus’s words have their own unique sound. They are at once more playful and more thoughtful than the way others talk. This is clear even when we read his spoken words when accurately translated. If you read these articles regularly, you are getting a feel for it. Most do not know this “sound” of Jesus’s voice because it is muffled in translation. Bible translators want to make Jesus sound less quirky and more normal, using the language of mainstream Christian faith.

For example, in this verse, Jesus emphasizes his uniqueness in ways that are hidden in its translation. He uses special and unnecessary pronouns to say “I myself” and to describe the sheep as “his own” rather than just “his.” (See this article.) This is eliminated in translation. What did his listeners hear? Something more like this:

Listeners Heard: These sheep, these ones of mine own, this voice of mine they hear. And I myself learn to know them, and they follow me.

Normally, plural neuter nouns, such as “sheep,” take singular verbs. A group of things are treated as a single conglomeration. The word “sheep” also means a “flock.” Here, however, Jesus recognizes these “sheep” are his followers. He uses the plural of both verbs, "hear" and "follow." He addresses them as many individuals, not a flock, who individually hear and follow.

John 10:28

Jesus continues in John 10:28:

NIV: I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

There are many words reshaped or left out here to make this sound like a promise of "eternal life." If this verse is translated literally, the "life" involved is not “eternal,” at least, not in the sense we mean it today. (See this article.)

The "will never perish" is not a promise about the future. It is only a possibility. The translation substitutes the future tense for the verb form that indicates something the “might” happen. The word translated as “perish” means “destroy.” It is not something that happens to us. It is what we do, in this case, what we do to ourselves. Jesus is saying that if we are his followers, we “might never destroy ourselves."

This is followed by a prepositional phrase that undermines the whole idea of "eternal life." This phrase is eliminated in English translation in virtually every version of the Bible. This is a clear example of a place where the Bible has been changed in translation (see this Note). The phrase means “for an age” or “as far as a lifetime.” Jesus said that we might never destroy ourselves “for an age." He put a time limit on it. The Greek word he used for the time limit can mean "life," "lifetime," "age," or "generation.” The word “for” also has other possible meanings including "up to a time," "as far as some measure or limit," and “for a purpose or object."

A more accurate version of this verse is:

Listeners Heard: And I give to them on-going life. And they should never destroy themselves as far as this lifetime. And anyone might not snatch them from this hand of mine.

This could mean that we cannot destroy ourselves in this lifetime if we hear Jesus accurately. This implies, however, that we can still destroy ourselves in the some future.

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