Luke 15:16-18

15:16 He ¹  was longing to eat ²  the carob pods ³  the pigs were eating, but ⁴  no one gave him anything. 15:17 But when he came to his senses ⁵  he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food ⁶  enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 15:18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned ⁷  against heaven ⁸  and against ⁹  you.

[15:16]  ¹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[15:16]  ² tn Or “would gladly have eaten”; Grk “was longing to be filled with.”

[15:16]  ³ 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).

[15:16]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[15:17]  ⁵ tn Grk “came to himself” (an idiom).

[15:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “bread,” but used figuratively for food of any kind (L&N 5.1).

[15:18]  ⁷ sn In the confession “I have sinned” there is a recognition of wrong that pictures the penitent coming home and “being found.”

[15:18]  ⁸ sn The phrase against heaven is a circumlocution for God.

[15:18]  ⁹ tn According to BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνωπιον 4.a, “in relation to ἁμαρτάνειν ἐ. τινος sin against someone Lk 15:18, 21 (cf. Jdth 5:17; 1 Km 7:6; 20:1).”