John 10:12

He that is a hireling (o misqwtov). Old word from misqow, to hire (Matthew 20:1) from misqov (hire, wages, Luke 10:7), in N.T. only in this passage. Literally, "the hireling and not being a shepherd" (o misqwtov kai ouk wn poimhn). Note ouk with the participle wn to emphasize the certainty that he is not a shepherd in contrast with mh eiserxomenov in verse John 10:1 (conceived case). See same contrast in I Peter 1:8 between ouk idontev and mh orwntev. The hireling here is not necessarily the thief and robber of verses John 10:1, John 10:8. He may conceivably be a nominal shepherd (pastor) of the flock who serves only for the money, a sin against which Peter warned the shepherds of the flock "not for shameful gain" (I Peter 5:2).

Whose own (ou idia). Every true shepherd considers the sheep in his care "his own" (idia) even if he does not actually "own" them. The mere "hireling" does not feel so.

Beholdeth (qewrei). Vivid dramatic present, active indicative of qewrew, a graphic picture.

The wolf coming (ton lukon erxomenon). Present middle predicate participle of erxomai.

Leaveth the sheep, and fleeth (afihsin ta probata kai feugei). Graphic present actives again of afihmi and feugw. The cowardly hireling cares naught for the sheep, but only for his own skin. The wolf was the chief peril to sheep in Palestine. See Matthew 10:6 where Jesus says: "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves."

And the wolf snatcheth them and scattereth them (kai o lukov arpazei kai skorpizei). Vivid parenthesis in the midst of the picture of the conduct of the hireling. Bold verbs these. For the old verb arpazw see John 6:15; Matthew 11:12, and for skorpizw, late word (Plutarch) for the Attic skedannumi, see Matthew 12:30. It occurs in the vision of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:5) where because of the careless shepherds "the sheep became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered." Jesus uses arpazw in John 10:29 where no one is able "to snatch" one out of the Father's hand.