Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 15].
in a sense the neighbours of God.
15:11 {Had} (\eichen\). Imperfect active. Note \ech•n\ (verse
4), \echousa\ (verse 8), and now \eichen\. The
self-sacrificing care is that of the owner in each case. Here
(verses 11-32) we have the most famous of all the parables of
Jesus, the Prodigal Son, which is in Luke alone. We have had the
Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and now the Lost Son. Bruce notes that
in the moral sphere there must be self-recovery to give ethical
value to the rescue of the son who wandered away. That comes out
beautifully in this allegory.
15:12 {The portion} (\to meros\). The Jewish law alloted one-half
as much to the younger son as to the elder, that is to say
one-third of the estate (De 21:17) at the death of the father.
The father did not have to abdicate in favour of the sons, but
"this very human parable here depicts the impatience of home
restraints and the optimistic ambition of youth" (Ragg). {And he
divided} (\ho de dieilen\). The second aorist active indicative
of \diaire•\, an old and common verb to part in two, cut asunder,
divide, but in the N.T. only here and 1Co 12:11. The elder son
got his share also of the "substance" or property or estate (\t•s
ousias\), "the living" (\ton bion\) as in Mr 12:44, not "life"
as in Lu 8:14.
15:13 {Not many days after} (\met' ou pollas h•meras\).
Literally, after not many days. Luke is fond of this idiom (7:6;
Ac 1:5). {Took his journey} (\aped•m•sen\). First aorist active
indicative of \apod•me•\ (from \apod•mos\, away from home).
Common verb. In the N.T. here and Mt 21:33; 25:14; Mr 12:1; Lu
20:9. He burned all his bridges behind him, gathering together
all that he had. {Wasted} (\dieskorpisen\). First aorist active
indicative of \diaskorpiz•\, a somewhat rare verb, the very
opposite of "gathered together" (\sunagog•n\). More exactly he
scattered his property. It is the word used of winnowing grain
(Mt 25:24). {With riotous living} (\z•n as•t•s\). Living
dissolutely or profligately. The late adverb \as•t•s\ (only here
in the N.T.) from the common adjective \as•tos\ (\a\ privative
and \s•z•\), one that cannot be saved, one who does not save, a
spendthrift, an abandoned man, a profligate, a prodigal. He went
the limit of sinful excesses. It makes sense taken actively or
passively (_prodigus_ or _perditus_), active probably here.
15:14 {When he had spent} (\dapan•santos autou\). Genitive
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/LU15.RWP.html (4 of 9) [28/08/2004 09:05:44 a.m.]