King James Bible
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
Jesus claims the title of the ideal shepherd, contrasting himself with the hired hands and false leaders described earlier in John 10. The Greek word 'kalos' (good) implies both moral excellence and beauty, presenting Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of Old Testament shepherd imagery like Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34. This knowledge is intimate and personal, not merely intellectual—the same Greek word 'ginosko' used for the Father's knowledge of the Son. Jesus emphasizes his individual recognition and care for each believer, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern practice where shepherds named and personally knew each sheep. The relationship is reciprocal: genuine sheep recognize and respond to their shepherd's voice. This mutual knowing establishes the covenant relationship between Christ and believers, where salvation involves not just Christ's knowledge of us but our experiential knowledge of him.