Ellicott's commentary:"One member of each pair refers to the act or state of the sheep; and the other to the act or gift of the Shepherd. (1)"My sheep hear My voice," . . "and I know them;"(2)"And they follow Me" . . "and I give unto them eternal life;"(3)"And they shall never perish" . . . "neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."By reading successively the clauses placed on the left side of the page, we trace the progress of the human act and state; by reading, in the same way, the clauses on the right side of the page, we trace the progress of the divine gift; by reading each pair in the order of the text, we see how at each stage the gift is proportioned to the faculty which can receive it."