Luke 15:17

Luke 15:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
• New International Version (NIV)“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
• English Standard Version (ESV)"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
• New King James Version (NKJV)“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Context of Luke 15:17

15So he got a job from someone in that country and was sent to feed pigs in the fields. 16No one in the country would give him any food, and he was so hungry that he would have eaten what the pigs were eating. “Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here? 18I’ll go at once to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. 19I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore. Make me one of your hired men.” ’

Luke 15:17 word by word

εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν ἔφη· πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύονται ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ὧδε ἀπόλλυμαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when he cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• How manyπόσοςposos · how much/many?G4214
• hired servantsμίσθιοςmisthios · hired workerG3407
• of myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• father’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• father’sπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• have breadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• enough and to spareπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• perishἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• with hungerλιμόςlimos · hungerG3042

Cross-references for Luke 15:17

• Luke 8:35The people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out. Dressed and in his right mind, he was sitting at Jesus’ feet. The people were frightened.
• Luke 16:23He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus.
• Psalms 73:20As ⌞someone⌟ gets rid of a dream when he wakes up, so you, O Lord, get rid of the thought of them when you wake up.
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is the tragedy of everything that happens under the sun: Everyone shares the same destiny. Moreover, the hearts of mortals are full of evil. Madness is in their hearts while they are still alive. After that, they join the dead.
• Jeremiah 31:19After I was turned around, I changed the way I thought and acted. After I was taught a lesson, I hung my head in shame. I was so ashamed and humiliated, because of all the stupid things I have done ever since I was young.’
• Ezekiel 18:28He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die.
• Acts 2:37When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
• Acts 16:29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.
• Acts 16:30Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?”
• Acts 26:11I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse ⌞the name of Jesus⌟. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside ⌞Jerusalem⌟.
• Ephesians 2:4But God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us.
• Ephesians 5:14because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says: “Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
• James 1:16My dear brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled.
• Luke 15:18I’ll go at once to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you.
• Lamentations 1:7“Now, during its suffering and oppression, Jerusalem remembers all the treasures it had from ancient times, when its people fell into the power of their enemies with no one to help them. Their opponents looked on, and they laughed at Jerusalem’s downfall.

Commentaries on Luke 15:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17When he came to himself - A state of sin is represented in the sacred writings as a course of folly and madness; and repentance is represented as a restoration to sound sense. See this fully explained on Matthew 3:2; (note). I perish with hunger! - Or, I perish Here. ̔, here, is added by BDL, Syriac, all the Arabic and Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Gothic, Saxon, Vulgate, all the Itala, and several of the fathers.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17He came to himself - This is a very expressive phrase. It is commonly applied to one who has been “deranged,” and when he recovers we say he has “come to himself.” In this place it denotes that the folly of the young man was a kind of derangement - that he was insane. So it is of every sinner. Madness is in their hearts Ecclesiastes 9:3; they are estranged from God, and led, by the influence of evil passions, contrary to their better judgment and the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 Having viewed the prodigal in his abject state of misery, we are next to consider his recovery from it. This begins by his coming to himself. That is a turning point in the sinner's conversion. The Lord opens his eyes, and convinces him of sin; then he views himself and every object, in a different light from what he did before. Thus the convinced sinner perceives that the meanest servant of God is happier than he is. To look unto God as a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-32Like the previous two parables (15:3–7, 8–10), the parable of the lost son demonstrates God’s love for the lost and the joy God experiences when they return. It also reflects the ministry of Jesus. The father represents God, the younger son represents the tax collectors and sinners Jesus welcomed, and the older son represents the religious leaders.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. came to himself--Before, he had been "beside himself" (Ec 9:3), in what sense will presently appear. How many hired, &c.--What a testimony to the nature of the home he had left! But did he not know all this ere he departed and every day of his voluntary exile? He did, and he did not. His heart being wholly estranged from home and steeped in selfish gratification, his father's house never came within the range of his vision, or but as another name for…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 15:17

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

In the dictionaries

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

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