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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Luke 15:11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/luke/15-11.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/5/42_Luk_15_11.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Luke 15:11 - The Parable of the Prodigal Son" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Then Jesus said, There was a man who had two sons." /><script type="application/javascript" 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align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad11.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/luke/15-10.htm" title="Luke 15:10">◄</a> Luke 15:11 <a href="/luke/15-12.htm" title="Luke 15:12">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Greek </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/luke/15.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/luke/15.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Jesus continued: &#8220There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/luke/15.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/luke/15.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/luke/15.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/luke/15.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />And He said, "A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/luke/15.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And he said, A certain man had two sons:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/luke/15.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/luke/15.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />And He said, “A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/luke/15.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />And He said, &#8220A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/luke/15.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And He said, “A certain man had two sons;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/luke/15.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And He said, “A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/luke/15.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Then He said, “A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/luke/15.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He also said, “A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/luke/15.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />He also said: &#8220A man had two sons. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/luke/15.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And he said, A certain man had two sons:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/luke/15.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Jesus told them yet another story: Once a man had two sons. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/luke/15.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And he said, A certain man had two sons:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/luke/15.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/luke/15.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/luke/15.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/luke/15.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, ?There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/luke/15.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/luke/15.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />He said, "A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/luke/15.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And he said, A certain man had two sons:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/luke/15.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />He went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/luke/15.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />He said, “A certain man had two sons. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/luke/15.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And He said, “A certain man had two sons,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/luke/15.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />And He said, "A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/luke/15.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And he said, 'A certain man had two sons,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/luke/15.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And he said, A certain man had two sons:<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/luke/15.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And he said: A certain man had two sons: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/luke/15.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And he said: “A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/luke/15.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Then he said, “A man had two sons,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/luke/15.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/luke/15.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And Jesus said to them again, A man had two sons;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/aramaic-plain-english/luke/15.htm">Aramaic Bible in Plain English</a></span><br />And Yeshua said to them again, “One man had two sons.”<div class="vheading2"><b>NT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/anderson/luke/15.htm">Anderson New Testament</a></span><br />Then he said: A certain man had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/godbey/luke/15.htm">Godbey New Testament</a></span><br />And He said, <FR>A certain man had two sons.<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/haweis/luke/15.htm">Haweis New Testament</a></span><br />Then he said, A certain man had two sons:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/mace/luke/15.htm">Mace New Testament</a></span><br />Again he said: a certain man had two sons;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/luke/15.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />He went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worrell/luke/15.htm">Worrell New Testament</a></span><br />And He said, <FR>"A certain man had two sons.<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worsley/luke/15.htm">Worsley New Testament</a></span><br />And He said, <FR>a certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father,<Fr><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/luke/15-11.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3-5_0Jtd9Lc?start=6229" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/luke/15.htm">The Parable of the Prodigal Son</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10</span>In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” <span class="reftext">11</span><span class="highl"><a href="/greek/1161.htm" title="1161: de (Conj) -- A primary particle; but, and, etc.">Then</a> <a href="/greek/2036.htm" title="2036: Eipen (V-AIA-3S) -- Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.">Jesus said,</a> <a href="/greek/5100.htm" title="5100: tis (IPro-NMS) -- Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.">“There was a</a> <a href="/greek/444.htm" title="444: Anthrōpos (N-NMS) -- A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.">man</a> <a href="/greek/2192.htm" title="2192: eichen (V-IIA-3S) -- To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.">who had</a> <a href="/greek/1417.htm" title="1417: dyo (Adj-AMP) -- Two. A primary numeral; two.">two</a> <a href="/greek/5207.htm" title="5207: huious (N-AMP) -- A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a son, used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.">sons.</a> </span> <span class="reftext">12</span>The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/21-28.htm">Matthew 21:28-32</a></span><br />But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ / ‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. / Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/18-12.htm">Matthew 18:12-14</a></span><br />What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? / And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. / In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/37-11.htm">Genesis 37:11-28</a></span><br />And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said. / Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. / Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_samuel/12-1.htm">2 Samuel 12:1-7</a></span><br />Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. / The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, / but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/11-1.htm">Hosea 11:1-4</a></span><br />When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. / But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images. / It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/5-8.htm">Romans 5:8-10</a></span><br />But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. / Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! / For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/4-1.htm">Galatians 4:1-7</a></span><br />What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything. / He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father. / So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/2-1.htm">Ephesians 2:1-5</a></span><br />And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, / in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. / All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_john/3-1.htm">1 John 3:1</a></span><br />Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/53-6.htm">Isaiah 53:6</a></span><br />We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/31-20.htm">Jeremiah 31:20</a></span><br />Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/34-11.htm">Ezekiel 34:11-16</a></span><br />For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. / As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. / I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the settlements of the land. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/103-13.htm">Psalm 103:13</a></span><br />As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/3-16.htm">John 3:16-17</a></span><br />For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. / For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/2-25.htm">1 Peter 2:25</a></span><br />For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And he said, A certain man had two sons:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/matthew/21-23.htm">Matthew 21:23-31</a></b></br> And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? … </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/luke/6-12.htm">Continued</a> <a href="/luke/15-3.htm">Jesus</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/luke/16-16.htm">Continued</a> <a href="/luke/16-1.htm">Jesus</a><div class="vheading2">Luke 15</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/luke/15-1.htm">The parable of the lost sheep;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/luke/15-8.htm">of the piece of silver;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/luke/15-11.htm">of the prodigal son.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/luke/15.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/luke/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/luke/15.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Then Jesus said,</b><br>This phrase introduces a parable, a teaching method frequently used by Jesus to convey deep spiritual truths through simple stories. Parables were a common rabbinic teaching tool in first-century Judaism, designed to provoke thought and self-reflection. Jesus often used parables to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God to those willing to hear and understand (<a href="/matthew/13-10.htm">Matthew 13:10-17</a>).<p><b>“There was a man who had two sons.</b><br>The man in this parable represents God the Father, and the two sons symbolize different responses to God's love and grace. The number two often signifies contrast or choice in biblical literature, as seen in the stories of Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, and others. This sets the stage for exploring themes of repentance, forgiveness, and the nature of God's mercy. The familial setting reflects the importance of family in Jewish culture, where inheritance and lineage were significant. The parable will unfold to reveal the heart of God towards both the wayward and the faithful, illustrating the depth of divine compassion and the call to reconciliation.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jesus.htm">Jesus</a></b><br>The speaker of the parable, Jesus uses this account to teach about God's grace and forgiveness.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_man.htm">The Man (Father)</a></b><br>Represents God the Father, characterized by his love, patience, and forgiveness.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_two_sons.htm">The Two Sons</a></b><br>Symbolize different responses to God's love and grace. The younger son represents sinners who repent, while the older son represents those who are self-righteous.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_household.htm">The Household</a></b><br>Represents the Kingdom of God, where both sons have a place, but their relationship with the father differs.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_inheritance.htm">The Inheritance</a></b><br>A key element in the account, symbolizing the blessings and responsibilities given by God.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_god's_grace.htm">Understanding God's Grace</a></b><br>The father's response to both sons highlights the boundless grace and forgiveness of God. We are reminded that no matter how far we stray, God is always ready to welcome us back.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/repentance_and_restoration.htm">Repentance and Restoration</a></b><br>The younger son's journey illustrates the importance of repentance. True repentance leads to restoration and reconciliation with God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/s/self-righteousness_and_humility.htm">Self-Righteousness and Humility</a></b><br>The older son's attitude warns against self-righteousness. We must guard against pride and remember that all are in need of God's grace.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_joy_of_reconciliation.htm">The Joy of Reconciliation</a></b><br>The celebration upon the younger son's return emphasizes the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. We should share in this joy and seek to reconcile with others.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/family_and_community.htm">Family and Community</a></b><br>The parable encourages us to reflect on our relationships within our families and communities, promoting forgiveness and understanding.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_luke_15.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Luke 15</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_early_inheritance_to_a_younger_son_plausible.htm">How historically plausible is it for a father to grant an early inheritance to a younger son, as described in Luke 15:11–12? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/prodigal_son's_lesson_on_forgiveness.htm">What lessons does the Prodigal Son teach about forgiveness?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_occurs_when_a_son_returns_home.htm">What happens when a wayward son returns home?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_ignore_the_older_brother's_grievances.htm">Why does the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32 not address the older brother’s grievances more directly? </a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/luke/15.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(11) <span class= "bld">And he said, A certain man had two sons.</span>--We enter here on one of the parables which are not only peculiar to St. Luke's Gospel, but have something of a different character, as giving more than those we find in the other Gospels, the incidents of a story of common daily life. As with the Good Samaritan, it seems open to us to believe that it rested on a substratum of facts that had actually occurred. It is obvious that in the then social state of Palestine, brought into contact as the Jews were with the great cities of the Roman empire, such a history as that here recorded must have been but too painfully familiar.<p>In the immediate application of the parable, the father is the great Father of the souls of men; the elder son represents the respectably religious Pharisees; the younger stands for the class of publicans and sinners. In its subsequent developments it applies to the two types of character which answers to these in any age or country. On a wider scale, but with a less close parallelism, the elder son may stand for Israel according to the flesh; the younger for the whole heathen world. Looking back to the genealogies of <a href="/genesis/5-10.htm" title="And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:">Genesis 5:10</a>; <a href="/genesis/9-18.htm" title="And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.">Genesis 9:18</a>, and even (according to the true construction of the words) <a href="/genesis/10-21.htm" title="To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.">Genesis 10:21</a>, they correspond respectively to the descendants of Shem and those of Japheth. It is obvious from the whole structure of the parable that the elder son cannot represent the unfallen part of God's creation; and, so far as it goes, this tells against that interpretation of the ninety and nine sheep, or the nine pieces of silver.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/luke/15.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 11.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And he said, A certain man had two sons</span>. It seems probable that this and the two preceding shorter parables were spoken by the Lord on the same occasion, towards the latter part of this slow solemn journeying to the holy city to keep his last Passover. The mention of the publicans and sinners in ver. 1 seems to point to some considerable city, or its immediate vicinity, as the place where these famous parables were spoken. This parable, as it is termed, of the prodigal sou completes the trilogy. Without it the Master's formal <span class="accented">apologia</span> for his life and work would be incomplete, and the rebuke of the Pharisaic selfishness and censoriousness would have been left unfinished. In the <span class="accented">apologia</span> much had still to be said concerning the limitless love and the boundless pity of God. In the <span class="accented">rebuke</span> the two first parables had shown the Pharisee party and the rulers of Israel how they ought to have acted: this third story shows them how they did act. But the Church of Christ - as each successive generation read this exquisite and true story - soon lost sight of all the temporal and national signification at first connected with it. The dweller in the cold and misty North feels that it belongs to him as it does to the Syrian, revelling in his almost perpetual summer, to whom it was first spoken. It is a story of the nineteenth century just as it was a story of the first. We may, with all reverence, think of the Divine Master, as he unfolded each successive scene which portrayed human sin and suffering, and heavenly pity and forgiveness, man's selfish pride and God's all-embracing love, passing into another and broader sphere than that bounded by the Arabian deserts to the south and the Syrian mountains to the north, forgetting for a moment the little Church of the Hebrews, and speaking to the great Church of the future - the Church of the world, to which, without doubt, this Catholic parable of the prodigal, in all its sublime beauty and exquisite pathos, with all its exhaustless wealth of comfort, belongs. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/luke/15-11.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Greek</div><span class="word">Then</span><br /><span class="grk">δέ</span> <span class="translit">(de)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_1161.htm">Strong's 1161: </a> </span><span class="str2">A primary particle; but, and, etc.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">[Jesus] said,</span><br /><span class="grk">Εἶπεν</span> <span class="translit">(Eipen)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_2036.htm">Strong's 2036: </a> </span><span class="str2">Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“[There was] a</span><br /><span class="grk">τις</span> <span class="translit">(tis)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_5100.htm">Strong's 5100: </a> </span><span class="str2">Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">man</span><br /><span class="grk">Ἄνθρωπός</span> <span class="translit">(Anthrōpos)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_444.htm">Strong's 444: </a> </span><span class="str2">A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">who had</span><br /><span class="grk">εἶχεν</span> <span class="translit">(eichen)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_2192.htm">Strong's 2192: </a> </span><span class="str2">To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">two</span><br /><span class="grk">δύο</span> <span class="translit">(dyo)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_1417.htm">Strong's 1417: </a> </span><span class="str2">Two. A primary numeral; 'two'.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">sons.</span><br /><span class="grk">υἱούς</span> <span class="translit">(huious)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_5207.htm">Strong's 5207: </a> </span><span class="str2">A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/luke/15-11.htm">Luke 15:11 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/luke/15-11.htm">NT Gospels: Luke 15:11 He said A certain man had two (Luke Lu Lk) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/luke/15-10.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Luke 15:10"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Luke 15:10" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/luke/15-12.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Luke 15:12"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Luke 15:12" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>