God is Responsive to Human Choices

[David Lamb]

Yes, lots of commentators hold bogus views.

Here again is the biblical view:

To be of My sheep is to be the sort of person who is open to God's word, the sort of people who comprise the fields white for harvest.​

The Greek preposition "ek" (G1537) "... ek; a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds),
Thus the actual view being presented is NOT among!!!! The idea is you were not the sort of people from which My sheep come.
"My sheep" come from the fields white for harvest. From people open to God's word.

But "ek" can indeed mean "among". Indeed it is sometimes translated as such:

“"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Mt 7:9 NKJV)

“Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift [it] out?” (Mt 12:11 NKJV)

Then there are other verses where "ek" clearly means "among", "one of":

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.” (Joh 3:1 NKJV)

Was Nicodemus a Pharisee? Yes. And he is spoken of here as being "of the Pharisees", just as Jesus said, "You are not of my sheep."

 

[Van]

But "ek" can indeed mean "among". Indeed it is sometimes translated as such:

“"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Mt 7:9 NKJV)

“Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift [it] out?” (Mt 12:11 NKJV)

Then there are other verses where "ek" clearly means "among", "one of":

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.” (Joh 3:1 NKJV)

Was Nicodemus a Pharisee? Yes. And he is spoken of here as being "of the Pharisees", just as Jesus said, "You are not of my sheep."

Thus the actual view being presented is NOT among!!!!

The idea is you were not the sort of people from which My sheep come.

"My sheep" come from the fields white for harvest. From people open to God's word.

"Ek" points to origin.

They were not the people who comprise fields white for harvest, those not open to God's word.