Luke 15:15

Luke 15:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
• New International Version (NIV)So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Context of Luke 15:15

13A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything [that he had] and traveled to a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living. 14Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to do without and be in need. So he went and forced himself on one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16He would have gladly eaten the [carob] pods that the pigs were eating [but they could not satisfy his hunger], and no one was giving anything to him. 17But when he [finally] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough food, while I am dying here of hunger!

Luke 15:15 word by word

καὶ πορευθεὶς ἐκολλήθη ἑνὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης, καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ βόσκειν χοίρους.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he wentπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
• and joined himselfκολλάωkollaō · to joinG2853
• toεἷςheis · oneG1520
• a citizenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• a citizenπολίτηςpolitēs · citizenG4177
• of thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• countryχώραchōra · countryG5561
• he sentπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• fieldsἀγρόςagros · fieldG68
• to feedβόσκωboskō · to feedG1006
• swineχοῖροςchoiros · pigG5519

Cross-references for Luke 15:15

• Luke 15:13A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything [that he had] and traveled to a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living.
• Exodus 10:3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.
• 2 Chronicles 28:22In the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the Lord.
• Isaiah 1:5Why should you be stricken and punished again [since no change results from it]? You [only] continue to rebel. The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint and sick.
• Isaiah 57:17Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.
• Jeremiah 5:3O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth? You [have seen their faithless heart and] have stricken them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to take correction or instruction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent and return to You.
• Jeremiah 8:4“Moreover [Jeremiah], you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do men fall and not rise up again? Does one turn away [from God] and not repent and return [to Him]?
• Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim (Israel) moaning and grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like a bull unaccustomed to the yoke or an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God.
• 2 Timothy 2:25He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it],
• Revelation 2:21I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so.
• Luke 8:32Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.
• Ezekiel 16:52Also bear your disgrace [as punishment], having made judgment favorable for your sisters, for [you virtually absolved them] because of your sins in which you behaved more repulsively than they; they are more in the right than you. Yes, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you made your [pagan] sisters seem righteous.
• Nahum 3:6I will throw filth on you And make you vile and treat you with contempt, And set you up as a spectacle.
• Malachi 2:9“So I have also made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality [to people] in [your administration of] the law.”
• Romans 1:24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],
• Romans 6:22But now since you have been set free from sin and have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the outcome [of this] is eternal life.

Commentaries on Luke 15:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15To feed swine - The basest and vilest of all employments; and, to a Jew, peculiarly degrading. Shame, contempt, and distress are wedded to sin, and can never be divorced. No character could be meaner in the sight of a Jew than that of a swineherd: and Herodotus informs us, that in Egypt they were not permitted to mingle with civil society, nor to appear in the worship of the gods, nor would the very dregs of the people have any matrimonial connections…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Joined himself - Entered the service of that citizen. Hired himself out to him. It would seem that he engaged to do any kind of work, even of the lowest kind. A citizen - One of the inhabitants of one of the cities or towns of that region, probably a man of property. Into the fields - Out of the city where the owner lived. To feed swine - This was a very low employment, and particularly so to a “Jew.” It was forbidden to the Jews to eat swine, and of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 The parable of the prodigal son shows the nature of repentance, and the Lord's readiness to welcome and bless all who return to him. It fully sets forth the riches of gospel grace; and it has been, and will be, while the world stands, of unspeakable use to poor sinners, to direct and to encourage them in repenting and returning to God. It is bad, and the beginning of worse, when men look upon God's gifts as debts due to them. The great folly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Pigs were ceremonially unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8). So this was the most shameful job a Jew could have.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. joined himself, &c.--his pride not yet humbled, unable to brook the shame of a return. to feed swine--glad to keep life anyhow, behold the son sank into a swineherd--among the Jews, on account of the prohibition of swine's flesh, emphatically vile! "He who begins by using the world as a servant, to minister to his pleasure, ends by reversing the relationship" [Trench].Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 15:15

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Employee
• God Continued...
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joy
• Penitent
• Prodigal Son
• Readings, Select
• Salvation
• Servant
• Swine
• Young Men

In the dictionaries

• Alive
• Citizenship
• Compassion
• Devour
• Divide
• Fain
• Heaven
• Living
• Meet
• Mighty

Commentaries on Luke 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings