The Meaning of Luke 15:27 Explained

Luke 15:27

KJV: And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

YLT: and he said to him -- Thy brother is arrived, and thy father did kill the fatted calf, because in health he did receive him back.

Darby: And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well.

ASV: And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he said  unto him,  Thy  brother  is come;  and  thy  father  hath killed  the fatted  calf,  because  he hath received  him  safe and sound. 

What does Luke 15:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 15:25-32 - The Son Who Never Came To His Father
Notice the difference between the Father's care for his elder son and the son's own estimate of his position, and you will see how easily you may miss the holy possibilities of your own life, if you allow yourself to be blinded by jealousy!
Ever with me; life was meant to be irradiated and blessed by the constant sense of God's nearness. We were meant to live in God and God in us. All that I have is thine; such is our wealthy condition, in the purpose of God, that all His divine resources, stored in Jesus, await the appropriation of our faith.
But if we fail to recognize our brother in the penitent thy son; if we shut ourselves out of the joy, because of some fancied slight, or of pharisaic pride, we miss our own truest blessedness. But God entreats us to come into it.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 15

1  The parable of the lost sheep;
8  of the piece of silver;
11  of the prodigal son

Greek Commentary for Luke 15:27

Is come [ηκει]
Present indicative active, but a stem with perfect sense, old verb ηκω — hēkō retaining this use after perfect tenses came into use (Robertson, Grammar, p. 893). [source]
Hath killed [ετυσεν]
Aorist active indicative and literally means, did kill. Difficult to handle in English for our tenses do not correspond with the Greek. Hath received (απελαβεν — apelaben). Second aorist active indicative with similar difficulty of translation. Note απο — apo in compositions, like re- in “receive,” hath gotten him back (απ — ap -). Safe and sound Present active participle of υγιαινω — hugiainō from υγιης — hugiēs to be in good health. In spite of all that he has gone through and in spite of the father‘s fears. [source]
did kill []
. Difficult to handle in English for our tenses do not correspond with the Greek. Hath received (απελαβεν — apelaben). Second aorist active indicative with similar difficulty of translation. Note απο — apo in compositions, like re- in “receive,” hath gotten him back (απ — ap -). Safe and sound Present active participle of υγιαινω — hugiainō from υγιης — hugiēs to be in good health. In spite of all that he has gone through and in spite of the father‘s fears. [source]
Hath received [απελαβεν]
Second aorist active indicative with similar difficulty of translation. Note απο — apo in compositions, like re- in “receive,” hath gotten him back (απ — ap -). [source]
Safe and sound [υγιαινοντα]
Present active participle of υγιαινω — hugiainō from υγιης — hugiēs to be in good health. In spite of all that he has gone through and in spite of the father‘s fears. [source]
Is come - safe and sound []
Compare is alive - is found. “How nice is the observance of all the lesser proprieties of the narration. The father, in the midst of all his natural affection, is yet full of the moral significance of his son's return - that he has come back another person from what he was when he went, or while he tarried in that far land; he sees into the deep of his joy, that he is receiving him now indeed a son, once dead but now alive; once lost to him and to God, but now found alike by both. But the servant confines himself to the more external features of the ease, to the fact that, after all he has gone through of excess and hardship, his father has yet received him safe and sound ” (Trench). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 15:27

Luke 5:31 They that are whole [οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες]
Both Matthew and Mark use ἰσχύοντες , the strong. This use of the verb in its primary sense, to be in sound health, is found in Luke 7:10; Luke 15:27; and once in John, 3Ep. 3 John 1:2. For this meaning it is the regular word in medical writings. Paul uses it only in the metaphorical sense: sound doctrine, sound words, sound in faith, etc. See 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3; Titus 1:13, etc. [source]
Luke 5:31 They that are whole [οι υγιαινοντες]
Old Greek word for good health from υγιης — hugiēs sound in body. So also in Luke 7:10; Luke 15:27; 3 John 1:2. This is the usual word for good health used by Greek medical writers. Mark 2:17; Matthew 9:12 have οι ισχυοντες — hoi ischuontes (those who have strength). [source]
Galatians 4:5 We might receive [ἀπολάβωμεν]
Not receive again or back, as Luke 15:27, for adoption was something which men did not have before Christ; but receive from the giver. [source]
Galatians 4:4 Born of a woman [γενομενον εκ γυναικος]
As all men are and so true humanity, “coming from a woman.” There is, of course, no direct reference here to the Virgin Birth of Jesus, but his deity had just been affirmed by the words “his Son” He not only became a man, but a Jew. The purpose (ινα — hina) of God thus was plainly to redeem (εχαγορασηι — exagorasēi as in Galatians 3:13) those under the law, and so under the curse. The further purpose (ινα — hina) was that we (Jew and Gentile) might receive (απολαβωμεν — apolabōmen second aorist active subjunctive of απολαμβανω — apolambanō), not get back (Luke 15:27), but get from (απο — apo) God the adoption (την υιοτεσιαν — tēn huiothesian). Late word common in the inscriptions (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 239) and occurs in the papyri also and in Diogenes Laertes, though not in lxx. Paul adopts this current term to express his idea (he alone in the N.T.) as to how God takes into his spiritual family both Jews and Gentiles who believe. See also Romans 8:15, Romans 8:23; Romans 9:4; Ephesians 1:5. The Vulgate uses adoptio filiorum. It is a metaphor like the others above, but a very expressive one. [source]
3 John 1:2 Be in health [ὑγιαίνειν]
Used in the New Testament both in a physical and moral sense. The former is found only here and in Luke's Gospel. See Luke 5:31; Luke 7:10; Luke 15:27. Paul uses it of soundness in faith or doctrine. See 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 2:2. Here of Gaius' bodily health, as is shown by soul in the next clause. [source]
3 John 1:2 In all things [περι παντων]
To be taken with ευοδουσται — euodousthai and like περι — peri in 1 Corinthians 16:1, “concerning all things.”Thou mayest prosper (σε ευοδουσται — se euodousthai). Infinitive in indirect discourse (object infinitive) after ευχομαι — euchomai with accusative of general reference σε — se (as to thee). Ευοδοω — Euodoō is old verb (from ευοδος — euodos ευ — eu and οδος — hodos prosperous in a journey), to have a good journey, to prosper, in lxx, in N.T. only this verse (twice), 1 Corinthians 16:2; Romans 1:10.Be in health In Paul this word always means sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3), but here and in Luke 5:31; Luke 7:10; Luke 15:27, of bodily health. Brooke wonders if Gaius‘ health had caused his friends anxiety.Even as thy soul prospereth (κατως ευοδουται σου η πσυχη — kathōs euodoutai sou hē psuchē). A remarkable comparison which assumes the welfare (present middle indicative of ευοδοω — euodoō) of his soul (πσυχη — psuchē here as the principle of the higher life as in John 12:27, not of the natural life as in Matthew 6:25). [source]
3 John 1:2 Be in health [υγιαινειν]
In Paul this word always means sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3), but here and in Luke 5:31; Luke 7:10; Luke 15:27, of bodily health. Brooke wonders if Gaius‘ health had caused his friends anxiety.Even as thy soul prospereth (κατως ευοδουται σου η πσυχη — kathōs euodoutai sou hē psuchē). A remarkable comparison which assumes the welfare (present middle indicative of ευοδοω — euodoō) of his soul (πσυχη — psuchē here as the principle of the higher life as in John 12:27, not of the natural life as in Matthew 6:25). [source]
Revelation 4:7 Like a lion [ομοιον λεοντι]
Associative-instrumental case again. In Ezek (Revelation 1:6, Revelation 1:10) each ζωον — zōon has four faces, but here each has a different face. “The four forms represent whatever is noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest in nature” (Swete). But it is not necessary to try to find a symbolism in each face here like the early baseless identification with the Four Evangelists (the lion for Mark, the man for Matthew, the calf for Luke, the eagle for John). Μοσχος — Moschos is first a sprout, then the young of animals, then a calf (bullock or heifer) as in Luke 15:23, Luke 15:27, Luke 15:30, or a full-grown ox (Ezekiel 1:10). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 15:27 mean?

- And he said to him - The brother of you is come and has killed father the calf - fattened because in good health him he has received
δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι ἀδελφός σου ἥκει καὶ ἔθυσεν πατήρ τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν ὅτι ὑγιαίνοντα αὐτὸν ἀπέλαβεν

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶπεν  he  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἀδελφός  brother 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἥκει  is  come 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἥκω  
Sense: to have come, have arrived, be present.
ἔθυσεν  has  killed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θύω 
Sense: to sacrifice, immolate.
πατήρ  father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
μόσχον  calf 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: μόσχος  
Sense: a tender juicy shoot.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σιτευτόν  fattened 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: σιτευτός  
Sense: fattened, fatted.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ὑγιαίνοντα  in  good  health 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὑγιαίνω  
Sense: to be sound, to be well, to be in good health.
ἀπέλαβεν  he  has  received 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολαμβάνω  
Sense: to receive.

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