John 10:6
New International Version
Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

New Living Translation
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant,

English Standard Version
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

Berean Literal Bible
Jesus spoke to them this allegory, but they did not know what it was that He was saying to them.

King James Bible
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

New King James Version
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

New American Standard Bible
Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.

NASB 1995
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

NASB 1977
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

Amplified Bible
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

Christian Standard Bible
Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

American Standard Version
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.

English Revised Version
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn't understand what he meant.

Good News Translation
Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he meant.

International Standard Version
Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn't understand what he was saying to them.

Majority Standard Bible
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

NET Bible
Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

New Heart English Bible
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Webster's Bible Translation
This parable spoke Jesus to them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke to them.

Weymouth New Testament
Jesus spoke to them in this figurative language, but they did not understand what He meant.

World English Bible
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Jesus spoke this allegory to them, and they did not know what the things were that He was speaking to them;

Berean Literal Bible
Jesus spoke to them this allegory, but they did not know what it was that He was saying to them.

Young's Literal Translation
This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them;

Smith's Literal Translation
This proverb spake Jesus to then: and they knew not what things they were which he spake to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke to them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Jesus spoke this proverb to them. But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

New American Bible
Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

New Revised Standard Version
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Jesus spoke this parable to them; but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Yeshua spoke this allegory to them, but they did not know what he was speaking with them.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
This parable spoke Jesus to them; but they knew not the meaning of the things which he spoke to them.

Godbey New Testament
He spoke this parable to them: but they did not know what things He was speaking to them.

Haweis New Testament
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they knew nothing of the things which he spake to them.

Mace New Testament
Jesus talk'd to them in this figurative way: but they did not understand the meaning of his discourse.

Weymouth New Testament
Jesus spoke to them in this figurative language, but they did not understand what He meant.

Worrell New Testament
This parable spake Jesus to them; but they understood not what things they were which He spake to them.

Worsley New Testament
This parable Jesus spake unto them; but they did not understand what He said to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus the Good Shepherd
5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.” 6 Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. 7So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.…

Cross References
John 16:25
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

John 16:29
His disciples said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and without figures of speech.

Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Mark 4:11-12
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, / so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Luke 8:10
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

John 8:43
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.

John 12:16
At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Ezekiel 17:2
“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel

Ezekiel 20:49
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

Psalm 78:2
I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

Proverbs 1:6
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

Matthew 13:34
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.

Mark 4:33-34
With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. / He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.


Treasury of Scripture

This parable spoke Jesus to them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke to them.

they understood not.

John 6:52,60
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? …

John 7:36
What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

John 8:27,43
They understood not that he spake to them of the Father…

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Clear Figurative Figure Form Jesus Language Meant Parable Similitude Speaking Speech Story Teaching Telling Understand Understood Used
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Clear Figurative Figure Form Jesus Language Meant Parable Similitude Speaking Speech Story Teaching Telling Understand Understood Used
John 10
1. Jesus is the door, and the good shepherd.
19. Diverse opinions of him.
23. He proves by his works that he is Jesus the Son of God;
31. escapes the Jews;
39. and goes again beyond Jordan, where many believe on him.














Jesus spoke to them
The phrase highlights the direct communication of Jesus with His audience. In the Greek, "Jesus" is "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous), emphasizing His role as the Messiah and the divine Son of God. The act of speaking signifies the importance of His teachings and His desire to convey spiritual truths. Historically, Jesus often used parables and illustrations to communicate profound truths in a relatable manner, reflecting His role as the ultimate Teacher.

using this illustration
The term "illustration" in Greek is "παροιμίαν" (paroimian), which can also be translated as "parable" or "figure of speech." This indicates that Jesus was using a metaphorical or symbolic account to convey deeper spiritual meanings. In the context of John 10, Jesus is using the illustration of the Good Shepherd, a concept deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and Scripture, where God is often depicted as a shepherd caring for His flock (e.g., Psalm 23).

but they did not understand
The Greek word for "understand" is "ἔγνωσαν" (egnōsan), which implies a lack of comprehension or insight. This highlights a recurring theme in the Gospels where the spiritual truths Jesus conveyed were often misunderstood by His listeners, including His disciples. This lack of understanding can be attributed to spiritual blindness or hardness of heart, a condition that Jesus frequently addressed in His ministry.

what He was telling them
The phrase underscores the content and significance of Jesus' message. The Greek "ἐλάλει" (elalei) for "telling" suggests a continuous or repeated action, indicating that Jesus persistently communicated His message despite the lack of understanding. This persistence reflects His patience and commitment to revealing the truth of God's kingdom. The historical context of this passage is crucial, as Jesus was addressing a Jewish audience familiar with shepherd imagery, yet they struggled to grasp the full implications of His claim to be the Good Shepherd.

(6) This parable spake Jesus unto them.--Better, this allegory spake Jesus unto them. The word rendered "parable" is the wider word (????????, paroimia) which includes every kind of figurative and proverbial teaching, every kind of speech, as the etymology reminds us, which departs from the usual course (?????, oimos). St. John nowhere uses the word "parable." The word paroimia occurs again in John 16:25; John 16:29, and once besides in the New Testament; this is in 2Peter 2:22 ("according to the true proverb"), in a quotation from the Greek version of Proverbs 26:11, where the Hebrew word is m?shal. (Comp. Note on Matthew 13:3, and Trench On the Parables, pp. 8-10.) The discourse of this chapter differs from the true parable, which is a story in which the outer facts are kept wholly distinct from the ideal truths that are to be taught; whereas here the form and the idea interpenetrate each other at every point. It is so in the other so-called "parable" in this Gospel (John 15). Strictly speaking, neither the "Good Shepherd" nor the "True Vine" is a parable. Both are "allegories," or rather, they are, as there is every reason to think, allegorical interpretations of actual events in the material world, which are thus made the vehicle of spiritual truths. It will follow from this that the interpretation of every point in the history of the material facts (e.g., "the porter" in John 10:3) is not always to be pressed. In the parable the story is made to express the spiritual truth, and with greater or lesser fulness every point in it may have its spiritual counterpart. The outer facts which are allegorised exist independently of the spiritual truth. The fact that they express it at some central points is all that is necessary for the allegory, and greater caution should attend the use of any addition to the interpretation which is given. . . . Verse 6. - This parable spake Jesus unto them. The word παροιμία occurs only in this place and in John 16:25-29; 2 Peter 2:22. It is the LXX. rendering of מָשָׁל proverb, in Proverbs 1:1, a similitude or didactic saying. The Greek word means any speech (ethos) deviating (παρὰ) from the common way (Lange). It may deviate by its sententious or parabolical form, which conceals under a closed metaphor a variety of meanings. But they, the Pharisees, who were confident of their own position, and gloried in their influence over men, and whose moral nature was steeled and armed to resist even a possible reference to themselves as "thieves," or "robbers," or "aliens," and who would not admit any of Christ's claims to their own disparagement, understood not what things they were which he was saying to them. The blind man had heard Ms voice, obeyed, found healing, advanced step by step from a bare knowledge of "a man Jesus" to a confession of him as one empowered by God; to a belief that he was a "Prophet," able to relax Mosaic Law; and finally to a ready acknowledgment that he was the Son of God. The Pharisees were conscious of neither need, nor blindness, nor desire of salvation, nor of the Shepherd's care or grace. They will not go to him for life. They can make nothing of his enigmatic words. They take counsel against him. Their misconception contrasts strongly with the susceptibility of the broken-hearted penitents. So far the parable or proverb corresponds with the parables of the kingdom in the synoptic Gospels, and is open to many interpretations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

spoke
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to them [using]
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

this
Ταύτην (Tautēn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

illustration,
παροιμίαν (paroimian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3942: A cryptic saying, an allegory; a proverb, figurative discourse.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

they
ἐκεῖνοι (ekeinoi)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

{did} not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

understand
ἔγνωσαν (egnōsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

what
τίνα (tina)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

He was telling
ἐλάλει (elalei)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

them.
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: John 10:6 Jesus spoke this parable to them (Jhn Jo Jn)
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