Luke 15:15 kjv
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luke 15:15 nkjv
Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luke 15:15 niv
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
Luke 15:15 esv
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
Luke 15:15 nlt
He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
Luke 15 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 11:7-8 | The pig... is unclean for you. You shall not eat their flesh... | Pig: epitome of Jewish ritual uncleanness |
| Deut 14:8 | The pig... is unclean for you. You shall not eat their flesh... | Reiterates swine as prohibited and unclean |
| Isa 65:4 | ...who eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; | Eating swine's flesh an abomination to God |
| Isa 66:17 | "Those who sanctify themselves... eating pig's flesh and the mouse..." | Impurity leading to divine judgment |
| Ez 4:13 | "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations." | Eating unclean food signifies spiritual defilement in exile |
| Hosea 9:3 | "They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt... and eat unclean food." | Forsaking God's land leads to uncleanness |
| Prov 1:32 | "For the backsliding of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." | Consequences of straying from wisdom/God |
| Rom 6:16 | "Do you not know that if you present yourselves... you are slaves... either of sin... or of obedience?" | Bondage to sin contrasted with obedience to God |
| Jn 8:34 | "Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." | Sin brings spiritual enslavement |
| Ps 73:27 | "For behold, those who are far from You shall perish..." | Being distant from God leads to ruin |
| Ps 107:10-12 | "Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction... for they had rebelled..." | Affliction as a result of rebellion |
| 2 Chron 12:8 | "Nevertheless, they became servants to him, that they might know My service and the service of the kingdoms..." | Servitude as a consequence of forsaking God |
| Phil 3:7-8 | "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ." | Valuing worldly gain leads to spiritual loss |
| 1 Cor 6:17 | "But he who is joined with the Lord becomes one spirit with Him." | Contrast: joined to Lord vs. joined to ungodly elements |
| Lk 15:17 | "But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants...'" | The lowest point serves as a turning point |
| Lk 15:18-19 | "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven...'" | Repentance follows humiliation and destitution |
| Lk 15:20 | "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion..." | The father's welcoming grace and love |
| Matt 7:6 | "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs..." | Pigs as symbols of the unclean or profane |
| James 4:10 | "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." | Humiliation often precedes divine exaltation |
| Joel 2:12 | "Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to Me with all your heart..." | Call to genuine repentance from dire need |
| Isa 59:2 | "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God..." | Sin creates separation from God |
| Ezra 9:14 | "Should we again break Your commandments and make marriages with the peoples of these abominations?" | Warnings against spiritual mixing/defilement |
| Hos 4:7-8 | "...they devour the sin of My people, and they are greedy for their iniquity." | Living in impurity, spiritually devouring |
Luke 15 verses
Luke 15 15 Meaning
Luke 15:15 describes the prodigal son's ultimate degradation and desperation. Having foolishly squandered his inheritance, he faces severe famine in a foreign land. Driven by extreme hunger and destitution, he lowers himself to work for a local resident, taking on the task of feeding swine. This work was ritually unclean and culturally abhorrent for a Jew, symbolizing the complete and humiliating separation from his heritage, his family, and ultimately, from God. This verse powerfully illustrates the dire consequences and the profound spiritual and moral destitution that result from abandoning one's rightful relationship with God.
Luke 15 15 Context
Luke chapter 15 records three parables of "lostness"—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son—all spoken by Jesus to respond to the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes (Lk 15:1-2) who grumbled about His association with tax collectors and sinners. The parable of the lost son is the longest and most detailed. Verses 12-14 describe the son's demanding his inheritance, journeying to a distant, Gentile land, squandering all his wealth on reckless living, and then facing a severe famine. Luke 15:15 specifically depicts the deepest point of his descent. He is now completely destitute, alienated, and forced to take on the most defiling and disgraceful employment imaginable for a Jew—feeding pigs. This dramatic lowest point serves to underscore the devastating consequences of forsaking one's true spiritual home and is the precursor to his moment of self-realization and subsequent return to his father.
Word Analysis
- And he went: The act of "going" (Greek: poreuomai) signifies a deliberate journey away from his father's house, a physical and spiritual departure into increasing distance and rebellion, now further intensified by desperation.
- and joined himself: The verb "joined himself" (Greek: ekollēthē, from kollao) literally means "he glued himself," "stuck fast to," or "clung desperately." This denotes a deep, albeit forced and desperate, attachment and dependence. It speaks not of a casual encounter but of a complete surrender of his dignity and autonomy to his circumstances. This same verb is used in a positive sense elsewhere for a profound spiritual union (e.g., "he who is joined with the Lord," 1 Cor 6:17), creating a stark contrast to his present unholy attachment.
- to a citizen of that country: A "citizen" (Greek: politen) is simply a resident, emphasizing a non-Jew or Gentile. "That country" (Greek: chōras ekeinēs) highlights the foreign, Gentile land, representing the symbolic "far country" of sin and spiritual estrangement from God and His covenant people. It underscores his alienation from his own cultural and religious identity.
- and he sent him: The new "master" had full authority. The prodigal son, once independent and wealthy, is now subservient, being "sent" (Greek: pempō), revealing his complete loss of autonomy and submission to the will of another.
- into his fields: This phrase emphasizes his lack of ownership or place. He is working on someone else's property, underscoring his complete destitution and loss of his birthright. He is a mere hired hand, not an heir.
- to feed swine: "To feed" (Greek: boskein) means to herd or graze, and "swine" (Greek: choirous) refers to pigs. This detail is crucial for understanding the depths of his degradation. Under Mosaic Law (Lev 11:7-8; Deut 14:8), pigs were explicitly declared unclean animals, prohibited for consumption and rendering one ritually impure upon contact. For a Jew, handling pigs was the absolute pinnacle of defilement and cultural anathema. This task symbolizes the ultimate moral and spiritual impurity, the very antithesis of Jewish cleanness and a potent visual of a soul steeped in sin and completely estranged from God's holy ways.
Luke 15 15 Commentary
Luke 15:15 portrays the profound spiritual descent of the prodigal son, mirroring the degradation that results from life apart from God. Having exhausted all his resources and indulged in the "far country" of sin, he finds himself not only impoverished but compelled by famine to perform the most demeaning and religiously offensive work imaginable for a Jew: feeding pigs. This employment represents the deepest level of ritual impurity, social humiliation, and spiritual separation. The son, who craved freedom and self-determination, ends up in utter bondage to circumstance, driven to embrace the very things considered abominable by his heritage. This dire state highlights sin's ultimate lie—it promises liberation but delivers only slavery and disgrace. This severe predicament is crucial as it creates the context for his spiritual awakening and eventual decision to return to his father.
Bonus SectionThe chosen verb for "joined himself" (ekollēthē) is very powerful. It is used elsewhere in the Bible for God's people cleaving to Him (Deut 10:20) and for husbands clinging to their wives (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:5). Its application here to the prodigal son's desperate attachment to a gentile master and an unclean task underscores the inversion of his true spiritual alignment. Instead of being joined to the purity and truth of his father's house, he is "glued" to the defilement of the world. This serves as a stark warning about where sinful choices ultimately lead one—to deep, impure entanglement with things antithetical to God. The very smell and environment of pig-farming would have been a constant, unbearable reminder of his extreme fallen state, further emphasizing the depth of his misery before his "coming to himself."