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Friday, November 8th, 2024
the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Luke 15:11

Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   God Continued...;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Joy;   Penitent;   Prodigal Son;   Readings, Select;   Salvation;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Parables;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Prodigal Son;   Religion;   Son;   Stories for Children;   Truth;   The Topic Concordance - Losing and Things Lost;   Salvation;   Seeking;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Grace;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Gospel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Heir;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Harmony of the Gospels;   Imagery;   Jesus, Life and Ministry of;   Luke, Gospel of;   Mammon;   Parables;   Prodigal Son;   Repentance;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Parable;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brotherhood (2);   Children;   Children of God;   Fall (2);   Father, Fatherhood;   Goodness;   Gospel (2);   Heir Heritage Inheritance;   Ideas (Leading);   Justice (2);   Love (2);   Luke, Gospel According to;   Man (2);   Neighbour (2);   Parable;   Premeditation;   Prophet;   Reconciliation;   Redemption (2);   Religious Experience;   Repentance (2);   Righteous, Righteousness;   Son, Sonship;   Turning;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Certain;   Heritage;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Parable;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Son of God;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for November 6;  

Parallel Translations

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he sayde: a certayne man had two sonnes
Hebrew Names Version
He said, "A certain man had two sons.
International Standard Version
Then Jesushe">[fn] said, "A man had two sons.
New American Standard Bible
And He said, "A man had two sons.
New Century Version
Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.
Update Bible Version
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Amplified Bible
Then He said, "A certain man had two sons.
English Standard Version
And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.
World English Bible
He said, "A certain man had two sons.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he said, A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father;
Weymouth's New Testament
He went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, A man hadde twei sones;
English Revised Version
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus also told them another story: Once a man had two sons.
American Standard Version
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Bible in Basic English
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Complete Jewish Bible
Again Yeshua said, "A man had two sons.
Darby Translation
And he said, A certain man had two sons;
Etheridge Translation
AND Jeshu said to them again, A certain man had two sons;
Murdock Translation
And Jesus said to them again: A certain man had two sons.
King James Version (1611)
And hee said, A certaine man had two sonnes:
New Living Translation
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons.
New Life Bible
And Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.
New Revised Standard
Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He sayde moreouer, A certaine man had two sonnes.
George Lamsa Translation
And Jesus said to them again, A man had two sons;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - A certain man, had two sons.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: A certain man had two sons.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "There was a man who had two sons;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde. A certayne man had two sonnes:
Good News Translation
Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons.
Christian Standard Bible®
He also said: “A man had two sons.
King James Version
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Lexham English Bible
And he said, "A certain man had two sons.
Literal Translation
And He said, A certain man had two sons.
Young's Literal Translation
And he said, `A certain man had two sons,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: A certayne man had two sonnes,
Mace New Testament (1729)
Again he said: a certain man had two sons;
THE MESSAGE
Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father. "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time. "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.' "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!' "His father said, ‘Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"
New English Translation
Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons.
New King James Version
Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus continued with his examples, "Suppose a rancher had two sons.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And He said, "A man had two sons.
Legacy Standard Bible
And He said, "A man had two sons.

Contextual Overview

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me now the part of your property that I am supposed to receive someday.' So the father divided his wealth between his two sons. 13 "A few days later the younger son gathered up all that he had and left. He traveled far away to another country, and there he wasted his money living like a fool. 14 After he spent everything he had, there was a terrible famine throughout the country. He was hungry and needed money. 15 So he went and got a job with one of the people who lived there. The man sent him into the fields to feed pigs. 16 He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. 17 "The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father's hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat. 18 I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.' 20 So he left and went to his father. "While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 21:23-31

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 12:1 - There were Jeremiah 35:16 - General Matthew 21:28 - A certain Luke 15:25 - his

Cross-References

Psalms 119:13
I will repeat the laws we have heard from you.
Ezekiel 17:3
Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: "‘A large eagle with big wings came to Lebanon. He had feathers covered with spots.
Ezekiel 17:7
Then another eagle with big wings saw the grapevine. The eagle had many feathers. The grapevine wanted this new eagle to care for it. So it stretched its roots and branches toward the eagle. Its branches stretched toward this eagle. The branches grew away from the field where it was planted. The grapevine wanted the new eagle to water it.
Matthew 13:4
While he was scattering the seed, some of it fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said,.... The Syriac and Persic versions read "and Jesus said again"; he added another parable to the two former, at the same time, of the same import, with the same view, and on the same occasion; setting forth the different characters of the Scribes and Pharisees, and of the publicans and sinners; and what little reason the one had to murmur, at his conversation with the other:

a certain man had two sons; by "the certain man" is meant, God the Father: God indeed is not a man, nor is he to be represented by any human image; but inasmuch as man is the image of God, God is sometimes compared to man, and is called a man of war, an husbandman, c. which no ways contradict his being a spirit and true it is, that the second person only assumed human nature; and therefore, whenever a divine person is spoken of as man, Christ is commonly intended: but though the Father never appeared in an human form, yet he seems here to be designed; because the character of a Father, and having sons, more properly belong to him; and the reception of sinners, and the forgiveness of them for Christ's sake, agree with him: and besides, Christ is distinguished from the Father in this parable; and he and his blessings of grace, are signified by other things: by the "two sons" are meant, not angels and men, as that angels are the elder, and men the younger son; for though angels are called the sons of God, and may be said to be elder than men, with respect to creation; and good angels may be said to have been ever with God, and always serving him, and never sinned against him; yet they are never called the brethren of men, nor men their brethren; and besides, are never angry at the return and reception of repenting sinners; for this would be to represent them just the reverse of what they are said to be, in the preceding verse: nor are the Jews and Gentiles here intended, which is the more received and general sense of the parable: those who go this way, suppose the Jews to be the elder brother; and indeed they were so, with respect to external privileges; and were with God, being his household and family; all he had were theirs, that was external; and the character of the elder brother throughout the parable, agrees with the far greater part of that nation; and it is certain, that they did resent the calling of the Gentiles: and these suppose the Gentiles to be the younger brother, who indeed were brought into a church state, later than the Jews; and might be said to be afar off in a far country, and to have spent their substance in idolatry and wickedness; to have been in the utmost distress, and in the most deplorable condition: but to this sense it may be objected, that the Gospel was not as yet preached to the Gentiles; nor were they brought to repentance; nor were they openly received into the divine favour; nor as yet had the Jews murmured at, and resented the kindness of God to them: rather standing and fallen professors may be designed: since the former are very apt to carry it toward the latter, in like manner as the elder brother is represented in this parable, as carrying himself towards the younger: but the true sense, and which the context and occasion of the parable at once determine, is, that by the elder son are meant, the Scribes and Pharisees, and self-righteous persons, among the Jews; and by the younger, the publicans and sinners among the same people; as it is easy to observe, the same are meant by the two sons in the parable in Matthew 21:28. Now these are called the sons of God because the Jews in general were so by national adoption; and the self-righteous Pharisees looked upon themselves as the children of God, and favourites of heaven, in a special sense; and God's elect among them, even those that lay among publicans and sinners, were truly so; and that before conversion; for they were not only predestinated to the adoption of children, but were really taken into the relation of children, in the covenant of grace; and as such were given to Christ, and considered by him, when he assumed their nature, and died for them; and are so antecedent to the spirit of adoption, who is sent to witness their sonship to them; and which is consistent with their being children of wrath, as the descendants of Adam, and their being the children of God openly and manifestatively, by faith in Christ Jesus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he said - Jesus, to illustrate still farther the sentiment which he had uttered, and to show that it was proper to rejoice over repenting sinners, proceeds to show it by a most beautiful and instructive parable. We shall see its beauty and propriety by remembering that the “design” of it was simply to “justify his conduct in receiving sinners,” and to show that to rejoice over their return was proper. This he shows by the feelings of a “father” rejoicing over the “return” of an ungrateful and dissipated son.


 
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