New King James Version
Luke 15:17
17“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!
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 Living Translation (NLT)“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!
Context of Luke 15:17
15Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. “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! 18I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
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 8:35Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
- Luke 16:23And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
- Psalms 73:20As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
- Jeremiah 31:19Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
- Ezekiel 18:28Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
- Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
- Acts 16:29Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
- Acts 16:30And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
- Acts 26:11And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
- Ephesians 2:4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
- Ephesians 5:14Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
- James 1:16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
- Luke 15:18I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
- Lamentations 1:7In the days of her affliction and roaming, Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things That she had in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, With no one to help her, The adversaries saw her And mocked at her 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries