Luke 15:20–24
Jesus paints a father who runs to meet the son coming home
Study it word by word20And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and running, he fell on his neck and kissed him.
21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
23and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate,
24because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.
In its context
18I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired workers.”’
…
25Now his older son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26And calling over one of the servants, he asked what these things might be.
Its words in the original
- ἀναστὰςanastas· rise, raise
Get up, stand up; also rise from the dead.
- ἦλθενēlthen· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- πατέραpatera· father, Father
Father; also ancestor.
- μακρὰνmakran· far
Far, far away.
- ἀπέχοντοςapechontos· be paid, be far
Have received in full, as on a receipt; also be distant. "It is enough".
- εἶδενeiden· see
See, look; notice.
- ἐσπλαγχνίσθηesplanchnisthē· have compassion
Be moved with compassion from deep within, feel pity.
- δραμὼνdramōn· run
Run.
- ἐπέπεσενepepesen· fall upon
Fall upon, press upon someone.
- τράχηλονtrachēlon· neck
Neck.
- κατεφίλησενkatephilēsen· kiss
Kiss, kiss warmly.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- υἱὸςhuios· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- ἥμαρτονhēmarton· sin
Sin: fail God, do what he forbids.
- οὐρανὸνouranon· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- ἐνώπιόνenōpion· before, in front of
In front of, in the presence of.
- εἰμὶeimi· be
Be, exist.
- ἄξιοςaxios· worthy
Worthy, fitting.
- κληθῆναιklēthēnai· call
Call; name; invite.
- δούλουςdoulous· slave
Slave: someone who belongs to a master and serves him.
- ΤαχὺTachy· quick
Quick, swift; "quickly".
- ἐξενέγκατεexenenkate· carry out
Carry out, bring out; produce.
- στολὴνstolēn· long robe
Long robe, flowing garment.
- πρώτηνprōtēn· first
First, foremost.
- ἐνδύσατεendysate· put on, clothe
Dress, put on clothing; be clothed.
- δότεdote· give
Give.
- δακτύλιονdaktylion· ring
Ring.
- χεῖραcheira· hand
Hand.
- ὑποδήματαhypodēmata· sandal
Sandal.
- πόδαςpodas· foot
Foot.
- φέρετεpherete· carry, bring
Carry, bring.
- μόσχονmoschon· calf
Calf, young bull.
- σιτευτόνsiteuton· fattened
Fattened, fed for slaughter.
- θύσατεthysate· kill, sacrifice
Sacrifice; also slaughter, kill.
- φαγόντεςphagontes· eat
Eat.
- εὐφρανθῶμενeuphranthōmen· rejoice, celebrate
Make glad; in the passive, rejoice, celebrate.
- νεκρὸςnekros· dead
Dead.
- ἀνέζησενanezēsen· come to life again
Live again, come back to life.
- ἀπολωλὼςapolōlōs· destroy, perish
Destroy, cause to perish; in the middle voice, perish, be lost.
- εὑρέθηheurethē· find
Find; in the passive, turn out to be, be found to be so.
- ἤρξαντοērxanto· begin
Begin.