Luke 15:16

15:16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Luke 8:32-33

8:32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission. 8:33 So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs 10  rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.

Luke 15:15

15:15 So he went and worked for 11  one of the citizens of that country, who 12  sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 13 

tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

tn Or “would gladly have eaten”; Grk “was longing to be filled with.”

tn This term refers to the edible pods from a carob tree (BDAG 540 s.v. κεράτιον). They were bean-like in nature and were commonly used for fattening pigs, although they were also used for food by poor people (L&N 3.46).

tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.

tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.

tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.

10 tn The words “of pigs” are supplied because of the following verb in English, “were drowned,” which is plural.

13 tn Grk “joined himself to” (in this case an idiom for beginning to work for someone).

14 tn Grk “and he.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) and the personal pronoun have been translated by a relative pronoun to improve the English style.

15 sn To a Jew, being sent to the field to feed pigs would be an insult, since pigs were considered unclean animals (Lev 11:7).