5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
5 They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."
5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
5 They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 10:5
Commentary on John 10:1-5
(Read John 10:1-5)
Here is a parable or similitude, taken from the customs of the East, in the management of sheep. Men, as creatures depending on their Creator, are called the sheep of his pasture. The church of God in the world is as a sheep-fold, exposed to deceivers and persecutors. The great Shepherd of the sheep knows all that are his, guards them by his providence, guides them by his Spirit and word, and goes before them, as the Eastern shepherds went before their sheep, to set them in the way of his steps. Ministers must serve the sheep in their spiritual concerns. The Spirit of Christ will set before them an open door. The sheep of Christ will observe their Shepherd, and be cautious and shy of strangers, who would draw them from faith in him to fancies about him.