John 10:27 (DBY)

Passage

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;

Nearby Context

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.

John 10:29 My Father who has given [them] to me is greater than all, and no one can seize out of the hand of my Father.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "but ye do not believe for ye..." into verse 28's "and I give them life eternal and...", so "sheep" and "hear" 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 "hear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.