Luke 15:30

15:30 this son of yours: He refused to acknowledge his own relationship to his brother.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 15:30. Οὗτος, that son of thine) [Pointing to him contemptuously, as the Pharisee at the Publican]. See ch. Luk 18:11, where see the note.—ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον, who hath devoured thy living) The elder brother speaks invidiously.—ἦλθεν) He says, has come, speaking of him as he would of an alien: not, has returned.—αὐτῷ, for him) The Dativus commodi (Dative of advantage). [The elder brother means to say, for that profligate.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 15:30 . οὗτος : contemptuous, this precious son of yours. μετὰ πορνῶν : hard, merciless judgment; the worst said and in the coarsest way. How did he know? He did not know; had no information, jumped at conclusions. That the manner of his kind, who shirk work and go away to enjoy themselves.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 30. This thy son] THIS son of THINE - words expressive of supreme contempt: THIS son - he would not condescend to call him by his name, or to acknowledge him for his brother; and at the same time, bitterly reproaches his amiable father for his affectionate tenderness, and readiness to receive his once undutiful, but now penitent, child!

For HIM] I have marked those words in small capitals which should be strongly accented in the pronunciation: this last word shows how supremely he despised his poor unfortunate brother.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(30) As soon as this thy son was come.—The feeling of discontent passes into scorn and bitterness. The sin of the wanderer is painted at once in the coarsest and darkest colours. The very turn of the phrase, “this thy son” speaks of a concentrated malignity.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. this thy son...which hath devoured thy living with harlots] Every syllable breathes rancour. He disowns all brotherhood; and says ‘came’ not ‘returned,’ and tries to wake his father’s anger by saying ‘thy living,’ and malignantly represents the conduct of his erring brother in the blackest light.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But as soon as this thy son was come,.... He will not own him in the relation of a brother, though the father had owned him in that of a son; and the offence he took was, that the fatted calf should be killed, or that a crucified Christ should be preached; that he should be preached at all, and much less that he should be preached to sinners; and still less that he should be preached so soon to them, as soon as ever they became sensible of their sin, as it was the will of his father it should be: for such are not to be sent away to cleanse themselves from sin by any thing they do, and then apply to Christ; or to heal themselves, and then come to him for a cure; or to get peace by doing so, and then come to him for rest; or to do any thing to fit themselves for him, for their case requires present help: now at this the self-righteous man is displeased. The elder brother would have had another method taken with this younger son: he would have had him soundly whipped with the rod of the law, for his former sins; and sent into the fields along with him to work out his salvation; and not to have a rag put upon him, or a shoe on his foot, or a morsel of bread given him, till he had earned them; but instead of this, to be received and entertained in the manner he was, and so soon, highly provoked him: for he thought such a conduct was unbecoming God, and his moral perfections; and what his brother was undeserving of; and opened a door to, licentiousness; and highly reflected on his services, as of no value and regard.

Which hath devoured thy living: given to his son; that part of his goods he had divided to him, Luk 15:12

with harlots; in rioting and drunkenness, in chambering and wantonness, in gluttony and debauchery:

thou hast killed for him the fatted calf; See Gill on Luk 15:23

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Ver. 30. But as soon as this thy son] He saith not, this my brother; he would not once own him, because in poverty.

Which hath devoured thy living] q.d. which you were so hasty to give unto him before your death (which you need not have done), and now he hath made a fair hand of it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This thy son - This son of “thine.” This is an expression of great contempt. He did not call him “his brother,” but “his father’s son,” to show at once his contempt for his younger brother, and for his father for having received him as he did. Never was there a more striking instance of petty malice, or more unjustifiable disregard of a father’s conduct and will.

Thy living - Thy property. This is still designed to irritate the father, and set him against his younger son. It was true that the younger son had been guilty, and foolish, and ungrateful; but he was penitent, and “that” was of more consequence to the father than all his property; and in the joy that he was penitent and was safe, he forgot his ingratitude and folly. So should the older son have done.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

30. ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον μετὰ πορνῶν. Every syllable breathes rancour. He disowns all brotherhood; and says “came,” not “returned;” and tries to wake his father’s anger by saying “thy living;” and malignantly represents the conduct of his erring brother in the blackest light; and calls his brother by the contemptuous term οὗτος.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30.] ὁ υἱ. σου οὗτος, the last degree of scorn and contempt,—just such as was shewn by the Pharisees towards the publicans and sinners (see ch. 18:11). ‘I will not count such an impure person my brother.’

σου τ. βίον, a covert reproach of his father for having given it to him.

μετὰ τῶν πορνῶν, a charitable addition on the part of the elder brother, such as those represented by him always take care to make under similar circumstances. Even supposing it a necessary inference from the kind of life which he had been leading, it was one which nothing but the bitterest jealousy would have uttered at such a time.

ἔθυ. αὐ. τ. σ. μ. parallel with ἁμαρτωλοὺς προσδέχεται, καὶ συνεσθίει αὐτοῖς, ver. 2. ‘Thou hast not only made him equal to me, but hast received him into superior favour.’

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος. Contemptuous: “This precious son of yours.” He will not say “my brother.”

μετὰ πορνῶν. This is mere conjecture, thrown out partly in contrast to μετὰ τῶν φίλων μου (who of course would be respectable), partly to make the worst of his brother’s conduct: That it shows how he would have found enjoyment, had he broken loose, is not so clear. But although there is contrast between πορνῶν and τῶν φίλων μου, and between τὸν σιτευτὸν μόσχον and ἔριφον, there is none between ἔθυσας and ἔδωκας, as if the one implied more exertion and trouble than the other, and therefore more esteem.

ἦλθεν. There is no bitterness in this, as if to imply that a stranger had come rather than a member of the family returned. Throughout the parable the prodigal is said to “come,” not to “return” (VV. 20, 27; comp. 18). But there may be bitterness in σοῦ τὸν βίον. As the father had freely given the younger son his share, it would more fairly have been called τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This thy son. Not my brother, but with the bitterest sarcasm.

Was come [ηλθεν] . He says came, as of a stranger. Not returned.

Devoured [καταφαγων] . We say "eat up;" the Greek said "eat down" [κατα] . The word is suggested, no doubt, by the mention of the calf, the kid, and the feasting. ===Luk16

CHAPTER XVI

THE PARABLE OF THE UNJUST STEWARD.

Peculiar to Luke. 1 - 8.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.