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John 10:18

No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

KJV

οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ. ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτήν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν· ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου.

Greek NT

Nemo tollit eam a me : sed ego pono eam a meipso, et potestatem habeo ponendi eam, et potestatem habeo iterum sumendi eam. Hoc mandatum accepi a Patre meo.

Vulgate

No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.

ASV

No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself. And I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

18 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αἴρω
airo
verb · 101×
αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
λαμβάνω
lambano
verb · 259×
οὐδείς
oudeis
adjective · 235×
οὗτος
outos
demonstrative · 1380×
πάλιν
palin
adverb · 141×
παρά
para
preposition · 191×
πατήρ
pater
noun · 412×
τίθημι
tithemi
verb · 99×
ἀλλά
alla
conjunction · 636×
ἀπό
apo
preposition · 640×
ἐγώ
ego
pronoun · 1720×
ἐμαυτοῦ
emautou
reflexive_pronoun · 37×
ἐντολή
entole
noun · 66×
ἐξουσία
exousia
noun · 102×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
o
article · 19778×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: αἴρει | Treg/NIV/RP: αἴρει | WH: ἦρεν
  • αἴρειSBLGNT
  • αἴρειTregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
  • ἦρενWestcott-Hort
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

22 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§609By embracing in his human heart the Father's love for men, Jesus "loved them to the end", for "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."425 In suffering and death his humanity became the free and perfect instrument of his divine love which desires the salvation of men.426 Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wan…
§614This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices.441 First, it is a gift from God the Father himself, for the Father handed his Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with himself. At the same time it is the offering of the Son of God made man, who in freedom and love offered his life to his Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation f…
§649As for the Son, he effects his own Resurrection by virtue of his divine power. Jesus announces that the Son of man will have to suffer much, die, and then rise.516 Elsewhere he affirms explicitly: "I lay down my life, that I may take it again. . . I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."517 "We believe that Jesus died and rose again."518
Source. Translated by George Prevost and revised by M.B. Riddle. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200188.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email a…
1. A fearful thing is sin, fearful, and the ruin of the soul, and the mischief oftentimes through its excess has overflowed and attacked men's bodies also. For since for the most part when the soul is diseased we feel no pain, but if the body receive though but a little hurt, we use every exertion to free it from its infirmity, because we are sensible of the infirmity, therefor…
1. A great good is philosophy; the philosophy, I mean, which is with us. For what the heathen have is words and fables only; nor have these fables anything truly wise in them; since everything among those men is done for the sake of reputation. A great good then is true wisdom, and even here returns to us a recompense. For he that despises wealth, from this at once reaps advant…
1. Great is the recompense of care bestowed upon the servants of God, and of itself it yields to us its fruits. For, he that receives you, it says, receives Me, and he that receives Me, receives Him that sent Me. Matthew 10:40 Now what can be equal to the receiving Christ and His Father? But what kind of connection has this with what was said before? What has it in common with …
…and 1 more from this source.
2. Having now sufficiently condemned the glutton, he uses also the hope of things to come to divert us from this wickedness: saying, 1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised up the Lord, and will raise up us also through His power. Do you perceive again his Apostolical wisdom? For he is always establishing the credibility of the Resurrection from Christ, and especially now. For i…
1. The blessed Paul wishes to show in the next place that this covenant is far better than the old. This then he does by first laying down remote considerations. For inasmuch as there was nothing bodily or that made a show, no temple for instance, nor Holy of Holies, nor Priest with so great apparel, no legal observances, but all things higher and more perfect, and there was no…
1. At all times indeed, but especially then when I reflect upon the achievements of the saints, it comes over me to feel despondency concerning my own condition, because we have not even in dreams experienced the things among which those men spent their whole lives, not paying the penalty of sins, but always doing rightly and yet always afflicted. For consider, I beseech you, E…
City of God · 2 passages
Chapter 41.—Of the Blessing Which Jacob Promised in Judah His Son. If, on account of the Christian people in whom the city of God sojourns in the earth, we look for the flesh of Christ in the seed of Abraham, setting aside the sons of the concubines, we have Isaac; if in the seed of Isaac, setting aside Esau, who is also Edom, we have Jacob, who also is Israel; if in the seed o…
Chapter 11.—Of the Substance of the People of God, Which Through His Assumption of Flesh is in Christ, Who Alone Had Power to Deliver His Own Soul from Hell. But after having prophesied these things, the prophet betakes him to praying to God; yet even the very prayer is prophecy: “How long, Lord, dost Thou turn away in the end?”10591059 Ps. lxxxix. 46. “Thy face” is understood,…
§37Because Christ is so exalted, He alone by every right rules and governs the Church; and herein is yet another reason why He must be likened to a head. As the head is the "royal citadel" of the body [50] - to use the words of Ambrose - and all the members over whom it is placed for their good [51] are naturally guided by it as being endowed with superior powers, so the Divine Re…
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Calvin expounds Christ's parable of the sheepfold. The good shepherd knows his sheep and is known by them. He has other sheep not of this fold — the Gentiles whom he will also bring in. No one takes his life from him; he lays it down of himself. "I and my Father are one" — Calvin shows this declares the un…
1. The Work is Taken Up After a Violent Interruption, Which Has Driven the Writer from Alexandria. He Addresses Himself to It Again, with Thanks for His Deliverance, and Prayer for Guidance. When a house is being built which is to be made as strong as possible, the building takes place in fine weather and in calm, so that nothing may hinder the structure from acquiring the need…
36. For lest a man, perceiving that the Son has all that the Father has, from the exact likeness and identity of that He has, should wander into the irreligion of Sabellius, considering Him to be the Father, therefore He has said 'Was given unto Me,' and 'I received,' and 'Were delivered to Me John 10:18; Matthew 28:18,' only to show that He is not the Father, but the Father's …
Having manifested what he was and what he is, he shows the great fruit of his confession; and being about to examine by what method God and the happy life may be found, he enlarges on the nature and power of memory. Then he examines his own acts, thoughts and affections, viewed under the threefold division of temptation; and commemorates the Lord, the one mediator of God and me…
The necessity of His Resurrection The time of the Resurrection Its order Its cause Article 1. Whether it was necessary for Christ to rise again? Objection 1. It would seem that it was not necessary for Christ to rise again. For Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iv): "Resurrection is the rising again of an animate being, which was disintegrated and fallen." But Christ did not fall b…

Cross-references

  • 2Cor 13:4 — For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
  • Acts 2:24 — Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
  • Acts 2:24 — Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
  • Acts 2:32 — This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
  • Acts 3:15 — And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
  • Acts 26:23 — That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
  • Heb 2:9 — But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
  • Heb 2:14 — Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil
  • Heb 5:6 — As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
  • Heb 10:6 — In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
  • Isa 53:10 — Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
  • John 2:19 — Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
  • John 5:19 — Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son li
  • John 5:30 — I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
  • John 6:38 — For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
  • John 10:11 — I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
  • John 10:15 — As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
  • John 10:17 — Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
  • John 10:17 — Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
  • John 14:31 — But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
  • John 14:31 — But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
  • John 15:10 — If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
  • John 18:5 — They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
  • John 19:11 — Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
  • John 19:30 — When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
  • Matt 26:53 — Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
  • Phil 2:6 — Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
  • Phil 2:8 — And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
  • Phil 3:10 — That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
  • Ps 40:6 — Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
  • Titus 2:14 — Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.