John 10:26 (DBY)

Passage

but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, as I told you.

Nearby Context

John 10:24 The Jews therefore surrounded him, and said to him, Until when dost thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou art the Christ, say [so] to us openly.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye do not believe. The works which I do in my Father's name, these bear witness concerning me:

John 10:26 but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, as I told you.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

John 10:28 and I give them life eternal; and they shall never perish, and no one shall seize them out of my hand.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "believe", and "told". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "believe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "Jesus answered them I told you and..." into verse 27's "My sheep hear my voice and I...", so "sheep" and "believe" 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 "sheep" and "believe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.