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 went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here from hunger! 18I will set out and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers.”’

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

• But when he cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• his sensesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• he saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• Howπόσοςposos · how much/many?G4214
• of my father’sπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• hiredμίσθιοςmisthios · hired workerG3407
• haveπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• breadἄρτοςartos · breadG740
• but I am dyingἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• from hungerλιμόςlimos · hungerG3042

Cross-references for Luke 15:17

• Luke 8:35And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened.
• Luke 16:23And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms.
• Psalms 73:20Like a dream when one awakes, Lord, when stirred, You will despise their image.
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead.
• Jeremiah 31:19For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I slapped my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
• Ezekiel 18:28Since he understood and turned away from all his offenses which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
• Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
• Acts 16:29And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas;
• Acts 16:30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
• Acts 26:11And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
• Ephesians 2:4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
• Ephesians 5:14For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
• James 1:16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters.
• Luke 15:18I will set out and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;
• Lamentations 1:7In the days of her affliction and homelessness Jerusalem remembers all her treasures That were hers since the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the adversary And no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They laughed at her ruin.

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