John 10:10 (ASV)

Passage

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.

Nearby Context

John 10:8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

John 10:9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.

John 10:12 He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth [them]:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thief", "cometh", "steal", "kill", "destroy", "came", "life", and "abundantly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thief" and "cometh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "I am the door by me if..." into verse 11's "I am the good shepherd the good...", so "thief" and "cometh" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thief" and "cometh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.