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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Simplified Cowboy Version

John 10:6

Jesus told this story, but the Pharisees didn't understand what he meant.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostles;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Sheep;   Shepherd;   Scofield Reference Index - Life;   The Topic Concordance - Jesus Christ;   Sacrifice;   Shepherds/pastors;   Unity;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;   Titles and Names of Saints;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Shepherd;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Pastor;   Shepherd;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lamb, Lamb of God;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Soul;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - John, the Gospel According to;   Parable;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Knowledge;   Names of God;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Parable;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Allegory;   Communion (2);   Discourse;   Metaphors;   Parable;   Protevangelium;   Religious Experience;   Understanding;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Door;   Parable;   Proverb;   Shepherd;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Flock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Sheep;   Shepherd;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sheep;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 18;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
King James Version (1611)
This parable spake Iesus vnto them: but they vnderstood not what things they were which he spake vnto them.
King James Version
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
English Standard Version
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
New American Standard Bible
Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.
New Century Version
Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.
Amplified Bible
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
Legacy Standard Bible
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
Berean Standard Bible
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua used this indirect manner of speaking with them, but they didn't understand what he was talking to them about.
Darby Translation
This allegory spoke Jesus to them, but they did not know what it was [of] which he spoke to them.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.
Geneva Bible (1587)
This parable spake Iesus vnto them: but they vnderstoode not what things they were which he spake vnto them.
George Lamsa Translation
Jesus spoke this parable to them; but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Good News Translation
Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he meant.
Lexham English Bible
Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what it was that he was saying to them.
Literal Translation
Jesus spoke this allegory to them, but they did not know what it was which He spoke to them.
American Standard Version
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Bible in Basic English
In this Jesus was teaching them in the form of a story: but what he said was not clear to them.
Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua spoke this parable to them, but they didn't understand what he was telling them.
International Standard Version
Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn't understand what he was saying to them.
Etheridge Translation
This parable spake Jeshu to them, but they knew not what he said with them.
Murdock Translation
This allegory spake Jesus to them; but they knew not what he said to them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
This prouerbe spake Iesus vnto them: But they vnderstoode not what thynges they were, which he spake vnto them.
English Revised Version
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
World English Bible
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn't understand what he was telling them.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
This parable spake Jesus to them; but they understood not what things they were which he spake to them.
Weymouth's New Testament
Jesus spoke to them in this figurative language, but they did not understand what He meant.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jhesus seide to hem this prouerbe; but thei knewen not what he spak to hem.
Update Bible Version
This parable Jesus spoke to them: but they didn't understand what things they were which he spoke to them.
Webster's Bible Translation
This parable spoke Jesus to them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke to them.
New English Translation
Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
New King James Version
Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
New Living Translation
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant,
New Life Bible
Jesus told this picture-story to them. Yet they did not understand what He said.
New Revised Standard
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This similitude, spake Jesus unto them; but, those men, understood not what the things were which he was speaking unto them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what he spoke.
Revised Standard Version
This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
This similitude spake Iesus vnto them. But they vnderstode not what thinges they were which he spake vnto them.
Young's Literal Translation
This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This prouerbe spake Iesus vnto them, but they vnderstode not what it was, that he sayde vnto them.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus talk'd to them in this figurative way: but they did not understand the meaning of his discourse.
THE MESSAGE
Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Contextual Overview

1Jesus said, "All y'all Pharisees better listen up. A fellow who goes over the fence and starts walking through the cows on foot must be a cattle rustler. 2But the one who rides through the gate on horseback is the cowboy. 3The cow boss tells him what gate to go through to get to the pasture the cows are in, and the cattle recognize the cowboy's voice. The cowboy knows each cow by number and leads them to tall grass and clean water. 4When he gets them all out of the pasture, he doesn't have to push because they will follow. 5They won't follow a stranger. They'll get boogered and run off when someone is walking through 'em on foot. They only recognize a cowboy who sits tall in the saddle and takes care of 'em." 6Jesus told this story, but the Pharisees didn't understand what he meant. 7Jesus explained to them, "Listen up! I am the gate for the cattle. 8Any person who tries to get to the cattle in any way except through me are liars and cattle rustlers. The cattle will spook if they come near. 9I am the gate. Through me, everyone will be saved. I lead to tall grass and clean water. 10A cattle rustler only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that my cattle will have tall grass and clean water . . . and have a bunch of it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they understood not: John 6:52, John 6:60, John 7:36, John 8:27, John 8:43, Psalms 82:5, Psalms 106:7, Proverbs 28:5, Isaiah 6:9, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 56:11, Daniel 12:10, Matthew 13:13, Matthew 13:14, Matthew 13:51, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 John 5:20

Reciprocal: Mark 14:22 - this Luke 18:34 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

This parable spake Jesus unto them,.... To the Pharisees, who were with him, John 9:40;

but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them; the things spoken by him being delivered in a parabolical way, though in lively figures, and in terms plain and easy to be understood; yet what through the blindness of their minds, and the hardness of their hearts, and their prejudices in favour of themselves, and against Christ, they did not understand what were meant by them; see Matthew 13:13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3.

They understood not ... - They did not understand the meaning or design of the illustration.


 
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