Joh 10:16, 11:52 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 16. Other sheep I have ] The Gentiles and Samaritans. As if our Lord had said, Do not imagine that I shall lay down my life for the Jews, exclusively of all other people; no: I shall die also for the Gentiles; for by the grace , the merciful design and loving purpose of God, I am to taste death for every man , ; and, though they are not of this fold now, those among them that believe shall be united with the believing Jews, and made one fold under one shepherd, . The original word, αυλη, which is here translated fold , dignifies properly a court . It is probable that our blessed Lord was now standing in what was termed the inner court , or court of the people , in the temple, see ; and that he referred to the outer court , or court of the Gentiles , because the Gentiles who were proselytes of the gate were permitted to worship in that place; but only those who were circumcised were permitted to come into the inner court , over the entrance of which were written, in large characters of gold, these words, Let no uncircumcised person enter here ! Our Lord therefore might at this time have pointed out to the worshippers in that court, when he spoke these words, and the people would at once perceive that he meant the Gentiles .

‏ John 10:16

Verse 16. Other sheep I have] The Gentiles and Samaritans. As if our Lord had said, Do not imagine that I shall lay down my life for the Jews, exclusively of all other people; no: I shall die also for the Gentiles; for by the grace, the merciful design and loving purpose of God, I am to taste death for every man, Heb 2:9; and, though they are not of this fold now, those among them that believe shall be united with the believing Jews, and made one fold under one shepherd, Eph 2:13-17.

The original word, αυλη, which is here translated fold, dignifies properly a court. It is probable that our blessed Lord was now standing in what was termed the inner court, or court of the people, in the temple, see Joh 10:23; and that he referred to the outer court, or court of the Gentiles, because the Gentiles who were proselytes of the gate were permitted to worship in that place; but only those who were circumcised were permitted to come into the inner court, over the entrance of which were written, in large characters of gold, these words, Let no uncircumcised person enter here! Our Lord therefore might at this time have pointed out to the worshippers in that court, when he spoke these words, and the people would at once perceive that he meant the Gentiles.

‏ John 11:52

Verse 52. And not for that nation only, &c.] These, and the preceding words in Joh 11:51, are John's explication of what was prophetic in the words of Caiaphas: as if John had said, He is indeed to die for the sins of the Jewish nation, but not for theirs alone, but for the sins of the whole world: see his own words afterwards, 1Jo 2:1, 2.

Gather together in one] That he should collect into one body;-form one Church out of the Jewish and Gentile believers.

Children of God that were scattered abroad.] Probably John only meant the Jews who were dispersed among all nations since the conquest of Judea by the Romans; and these are called the dispersed, Joh 7:35, and Jas 1:1; and it is because he refers to these only, that he terms them here, the children of God, which was an ancient character of the Jewish people: see De 32:5; Isa 43:6; 45:11; Jer 32:1. Taking his words in this sense, then his meaning is this: that Christ was to die, not only for the then inhabitants of Judea, but for all the Jewish race wheresoever scattered; and that the consequence would be, that they should be all collected from their various dispersions, and made one body. This comports with the predictions of St. Paul: Ro 11:1-32. This probably is the sense of the passage; and though, according to this interpretation, the apostle may seem to confine the benefits of Christ's death to the Jewish people only, yet we find from the passage already quoted from his first epistle, that his views of this subject were afterwards very much extended; and that he saw that Jesus Christ was not only a propitiation for their sins (the Jews) but for the sins of the whole world: see his 1st epistle, chap. 2. ver. 2. 1Jo 2:2 All the truths of the Gospel were not revealed at once, even to the apostles themselves.