John 10:13 (YLT)

Passage

and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep.

Nearby Context

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

John 10:12 and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep;

John 10:13 and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep.

John 10:14 `I am the good shepherd, and I know my <FI>sheep<Fi> , and am known by mine,

John 10:15 according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "and the hireling and not being a..." into verse 14's "I am the good shepherd and I...", so "sheep" and "hireling" 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 "hireling" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.