John 10:3

φωνεῖ (all the best MSS.) for καλεῖ.

3. ὁ θυρωρός. Ostiarius. The ‘porter’ is the door-keeper or gate-keeper, who fastens and opens the one door into the fold. In the allegory the fold is the Church, the Door is Christ, the sheep are the elect, the shepherds are God’s ministers. What does the porter represent? Possibly nothing definite. Much harm is sometimes done by trying to maké every detail of an allegory or parable significant. There must be background in every picture. But if it be insisted that the porter here is too prominent to be meaningless, it is perhaps best to understand the Holy Spirit as signified under this figure; He who grants opportunities of coming, or of bringing others, through Christ into the Kingdom of God. Comp. 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3; Acts 14:27; Revelation 3:8 : but in all these passages ‘door’ does not mean Christ, but opportunity.

τ. πρ.… ἀκούει. All the sheep, whether belonging to his flock or not, know from his coming that they are about to be led out. His own sheep (first for emphasis) he calleth by name (Exodus 33:12; Exodus 33:17; Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 45:3; Isaiah 49:1; Revelation 3:5), and leadeth them out to pasture. Even in this country shepherds and shepherds’ dogs know each individual sheep; in the East the intimacy between shepherd and sheep is still closer. The naming of sheep is a very ancient practice: see Theocritus v. 102. φωνεῖ implies more directly personal invitation (John 1:49; John 2:9; John 4:16; John 9:19; John 9:24; John 11:28; John 13:13; John 18:33) than καλεῖ (T. R.), which would express a general summons (Matthew 4:21; Matthew 20:8; Matthew 22:9; Matthew 25:14). The blind man had been called out from the rest, and had heard His voice.