John 10:5 (DRB)

Passage

But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.

Nearby Context

John 10:3 To him the porter openeth: and the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out.

John 10:4 And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.

John 10:5 But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.

John 10:6 This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke.

John 10:7 Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And when he hath let out his..." into verse 6's "This proverb Jesus spoke to them But...", so "stranger" and "follow" 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 "stranger" and "follow" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.