I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a deep, intimate connection: Jesus doesn't just know about his followers, but intimately knows their hearts and lives, and they, in turn, recognize and trust Him. This isn't just a shepherd recognizing sheep in a crowd, but a profound, reciprocal relationship rooted in love and shared life.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just described false shepherds (thieves and robbers) who care nothing for the sheep. He contrasts himself with them, declaring he is the good shepherd who gives his life for the flock, emphasizing the deep, mutual, and loving relationship he shares with his own people, a relationship mirrored in his own perfect relationship with the Father.
Jesus says He 'knows' His sheep. But what kind of knowing is this? It's far deeper than just recognizing a face.
When Jesus says, 'I know my own,' it's not a superficial awareness. This isn't like a shepherd who knows his sheep are around, but doesn't distinguish them. This is a profound, intimate knowledge.
A Love-Fueled Understanding
Think of it as a deep, affectionate regard. He knows their deepest needs, their struggles, their unique characteristics, and their dangers. This knowledge isn't just intellectual; it's born out of love and a genuine concern for their welfare. It’s a knowledge that compels Him to protect, guide, and provide.
A Shared Recognition
This knowing is mutual. 'My own know me.' This means His followers recognize Him, trust His voice, and follow His lead. This recognition comes from experiencing His care and truth in their lives. It’s a relationship built on both His active knowledge of them and their responsive knowledge of Him.
Jesus calls Himself the 'good shepherd.' What makes Him good? It's rooted in a radical act of self-sacrifice for His flock.
The title 'good shepherd' isn't just a nice label; it's defined by an ultimate act of love: laying down His life.
Beyond the Hireling
Jesus contrasts Himself with a 'hireling' shepherd who abandons the sheep when danger approaches. A hireling cares only for their pay, not the flock’s well-being. But the true shepherd, Jesus, is so invested in His sheep that He willingly faces death for them.
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The Price of Protection
This sacrifice isn't a mere demonstration; it's the very essence of His shepherding. He lays down His life to protect His own from spiritual death and destruction. This act of laying down His life is the ultimate proof of His deep knowledge and profound love for His people.
Understand the original words
ginōskō · Greek Verb
Beyond mere intellectual awareness, this biblical term signifies an intimate, experiential, and relational connection. It implies a deep bond of love, mutual recognition, and covenantal commitment between persons.
This passage describes God as the true shepherd who seeks out and cares for his scattered sheep, mirroring Jesus' declaration of His shepherding role and intimate knowledge of His flock.
Psalm 23:1-6The familiar Psalm beautifully expresses the relational aspect of a shepherd's care, highlighting provision, guidance, and protection, which directly aligns with Jesus' description of Himself as the good shepherd who knows and cares for His own.
1 Samuel 17:34-37David recounts how he protected his father's sheep from lions and bears, demonstrating a shepherd's fierce love and willingness to risk his life for the flock, a precursor to Jesus' ultimate sacrifice as the Good Shepherd.
John 15:14-15Jesus tells His disciples, 'You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, but friends; because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have revealed to you everything that I learned from my Father.' This highlights a similar theme of intimate knowledge and relationship, moving from a servant/master dynamic to one of friendship and shared understanding.
barnesJohn 10:14: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
Know my sheep - Know my people, or my church. The word "know" here is used in the sense of affectionate regard or love. It implies such a knowledge of their wants, their dangers, and their characters, as to result in a deep interest in their welfare. Thus the word "knoweth," in John 10:15 , is in John 10:17 explained by the word "loveth." Jesus knows the hearts, the dangers, and the wants of his people, and his kindn…
calvinJohn 10:11-15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
- I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12. But the hireling, and he who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf teareth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am kno…
This verse highlights a deep, intimate connection: Jesus doesn't just know about his followers, but intimately knows their hearts and lives, and they, in turn, recognize and trust Him. This isn't just a shepherd recognizing sheep in a crowd, but a profound, reciprocal relationship rooted in love and shared life.
Jesus has just described false shepherds (thieves and robbers) who care nothing for the sheep. He contrasts himself with them, declaring he is the good shepherd who gives his life for the flock, emphasizing the deep, mutual, and loving relationship he shares with his own people, a relationship mirrored in his own perfect relationship with the Father.
Jesus has just described false shepherds (thieves and robbers) who care nothing for the sheep. He contrasts himself with them, declaring he is the good shepherd who gives his life for the flock, emphasizing the deep, mutual, and loving relationship he shares with his own people, a relationship mirrored in his own perfect relationship with the Father.
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me," — This verse highlights a deep, intimate connection: Jesus doesn't just know about his followers, but intimately knows their hearts and lives, and they, in turn, recognize and trust Him. This isn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026