# John 10.28-29

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:</span>
>
> **28. <span class="rl-speech">and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.</span> 29. <span class="rl-speech">My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.</span>**
>
> 30. <span class="rl-speech">I and the Father are one.</span> 31. <span class="rl-speech">The Jews took up stones again to stone him.</span> (John 10:26-31, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.</span>
>
> **28. <span class="rl-speech">I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.</span> 29. <span class="rl-speech">My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.</span>**
>
> 30. <span class="rl-speech">I and the Father are one.”</span> 31. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.</span> (John 10:26-31, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:</span>
>
> **28. <span class="rl-speech">And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.</span> 29. <span class="rl-speech">My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.</span>**
>
> 30. <span class="rl-speech">I and my Father are one.</span> 31. <span class="rl-speech">Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.</span> (John 10:26-31, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 26. <span class="rl-speech">but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep,</span> 27. <span class="rl-speech">according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me,</span>
>
> **28. <span class="rl-speech">and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish, to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand;</span> 29. <span class="rl-speech">my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father;</span>**
>
> 30. <span class="rl-speech">I and the Father are one.'</span> 31. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore, again, did the Jews take up stones that they may stone him;</span> (John 10:26-31, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G0165 - aion](/codex/g0165-aion/), *aion* (Strong's G165). Also appears in: [Matthew 12.31-32](/codex/matthew-12-31-32/), [Matthew 28.18-20](/codex/matthew-28-18-20/), [Mark 3.20-30](/codex/mark-3-20-30/).
- [G0166 - aionios](/codex/g0166-aionios/), *aionios* (Strong's G166). Also appears in: [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Matthew 25.46](/codex/matthew-25-46/), [Mark 3.20-30](/codex/mark-3-20-30/).
- [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/), *zoe* (Strong's G2222). Also appears in: [Matthew 7.13-14](/codex/matthew-7-13-14/), [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Matthew 25.46](/codex/matthew-25-46/).
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), *pas* (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 2.1-6](/codex/matthew-2-1-6/), [Matthew 2.16](/codex/matthew-2-16/).
- [G3962 - pater](/codex/g3962-pater/), *pater* (Strong's G3962). Also appears in: [Matthew 5.48](/codex/matthew-5-48/), [Matthew 6.25-26](/codex/matthew-6-25-26/), [Matthew 6.25-34](/codex/matthew-6-25-34/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Allah Predestines Child to Hell Objection Defeater](/codex/allah-predestines-child-to-hell-objection-defeater/)
- [Conditional Immortality from Text-First Method](/codex/conditional-immortality-from-text-first-method/), via [John 10.28](/codex/john-10-28/)

**Concepts:**

- [Calvinism](/codex/calvinism/)
- [Calvinism vs Arminianism vs Molinism vs Open Theism](/codex/calvinism-vs-arminianism-vs-molinism-vs-open-theism/)
- [Canons of Dort](/codex/canons-of-dort/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 10](/codex/john-10/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0622 - apollymi](/codex/g0622-apollymi/)

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