Jesus says that seeks to give others an extraordinary life but that the hired hand flees when he sees a wolf
John 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
John 10:13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Because he is a hired hand and there isn't a concern for him concerning the sheep.
People don't care about what isn't theirs.
The initial clause about the hired hand fleeing isn't tin the source we use today but was in the source used by the KJV. There is no excuse for the NIV and almost all other modern translations adding it, except that the translators want to maintain consistency with the KJV. This changes the focus of the verse from what the hired hand doesn't care about to why he flees.
The verb translated as "cares" is not the common Greek word that is usually translated as "care." This verb is unusual, used only by Jesus here, and not taking normal objects. The actual object here is an indirect object that is ignored by all English translations. It sense is "there is not concern for him."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "flee" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "cares" is not the common word usually translated as "cares."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "cares" is not a transitive verb but an intransitive one, "there is a concern."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "him" is not shown in the English translation.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "the man runs away" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "cares" is not the common word usually translated as "cares."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "cares" is not a transitive verb but an intransitive one, "there is a concern."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "nothing" is not the common word usually translated as "nothing."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "him" is not shown in the English translation.
The -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
hireling -- "Hireling" is a Greek adjective that means "hired", "hired servant", "hireling," and [military] "mercenary."
fleeth, -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "flee" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
because -- The word translated as "because" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
is -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. -- When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
an -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
hireling, -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as a second "hireling" i in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
careth - (CW, WF) This is the only time that Jesus uses this verb. It means "to be an object of care," and "there is a concern for." This is not the common Greek word means "cares for." It does not work as a transitive verb. This verb takes either a genitive or dative object, depending on whether it is impersonal or personal.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
missing "for" -- (MW) The untranslated word "for" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with," "in," "of," "as," "by," "for," "at," or "on" depending on the context.
missing "him" -- (MW) The untranslated word "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
for -- The Greek word translated as "for" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
sheep. -- "Sheep" is Christ's symbol for his followers. The Greek word refers to any domesticated animal and works better if translated simply as "flock" or "herd." The flock follows the shepherd, which is above them. It is also together, a united group.
The man runs away -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "the man runs away" in the Greek source.
because -- The word translated as "because" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
is -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. -- When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
hired hand , -- "Hired hand" is a Greek adjective that means "hired", "hired servant", "hireling," and [military] "mercenary."
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
cares - (CW, WF) This is the only time that Jesus uses this verb. It means "to be an object of care," and "there is a concern for." This is not the common Greek word means "cares for." It does not work as a transitive verb. This verb takes either a genitive or dative object, depending on whether it is impersonal or personal.
nothing -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "nothing" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. It is not the word for "nothing."
missing "for" -- (MW) The untranslated word "for" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with," "in," "of," "as," "by," "for," "at," or "on" depending on the context.
missing "him" -- (MW) The untranslated word "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it means "just here" or "exactly there." This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."
for -- The Greek word translated as "for" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
sheep. -- "Sheep" is Christ's symbol for his followers. The Greek word refers to any domesticated animal and works better if translated simply as "flock" or "herd." The flock follows the shepherd, which is above them. It is also together, a united group.
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "Because" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
μισθωτός [2 verses](adj sg masc nom) "A hireling" is from misthrotos, which means "hired", "hired servant", "hireling," and [military] "mercenary."
ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
οὐ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
μέλει [1 verse](3rd sg pres ind act) "Careth" is from melei, which means "to be an object of care", "to care for", "there is a care," "to take an interest in," and "to take care of."
αὐτῷ [720 verses](adj sg masc dat) Untranslated is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it means "just here" or "exactly there."
περὶ [73 verses](prep) "For" is peri, which means "round about (Place)," "around," "about," "concerning," "on account of," "in regard to," "before," "above," "beyond," and "all around."
τῶν [821 verses](article pl neut gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
προβάτων. [26 verses](noun pl neut gen) "Sheep" is probaton, which means any domesticated four-footed animal, "sheep," "cattle," "herds," and "flocks.