Luke 15:21-24

15:21 Then ¹  his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven ²  and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ³  15:22 But the father said to his slaves, ⁴  ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, ⁵  and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger ⁶  and sandals ⁷  on his feet! 15:23 Bring ⁸  the fattened calf ⁹  and kill it! Let us eat ¹⁰  and celebrate, 15:24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ ¹¹  So ¹²  they began to celebrate.

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

² sn The phrase against heaven is a circumlocution for God. 1st century Judaism tended to minimize use of the divine name out of reverence.

³ sn The younger son launches into his confession just as he had planned. See vv. 18-19.

⁴ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

⁵ sn With the instructions Hurry! Bring the best robe, there is a total acceptance of the younger son back into the home.

⁶ tn Grk “hand”; but χείρ (ceir) can refer to either the whole hand or any relevant part of it (L&N 8.30).

⁷ sn The need for sandals underlines the younger son’s previous destitution, because he was barefoot.

⁸ tn Grk “And bring.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁹ tn Or “the prize calf” (L&N 65.8). See also L&N 44.2, “grain-fattened.” Such a calf was usually reserved for religious celebrations.

¹⁰ tn The participle φαγόντες (fagontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹¹ sn This statement links the parable to the theme of 15:6, 9.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the father’s remarks in the preceding verses.