New English Translation
Luke 15:17
17But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!
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 worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’
Read all of Luke 15Luke 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 8:35So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
- Luke 16:23And in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side.
- Psalms 73:20They are like a dream after one wakes up. O Lord, when you awake you will despise them.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die.
- Jeremiah 31:19For after we turned away from you we repented. After we came to our senses we beat our breasts in sorrow. We are ashamed and humiliated because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’
- Ezekiel 18:28Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die.
- Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?”
- Acts 16:29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.
- Acts 16:30Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
- Acts 26:11I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.
- Ephesians 2:4But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,
- Ephesians 5:14For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: “Awake, O sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!”
- James 1:16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.
- Luke 15:18I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
- Lamentations 1:7Jerusalem remembers, when she became a poor homeless person, all her treasures that she owned in days of old. When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, none of her allies came to her rescue. Her enemies gloated over her; they sneered at her downfall. ח (Khet)
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
In the dictionaries
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
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