Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Not many days after - He probably hastened his departure for fear of the fine which he must have paid, and the reproach to which he must have been subjected, had the matter come before the civil magistrate. See above.

Riotous living - Ζων ασωτως, in a course of life that led him to spend all: from α not, and σωω I save. And this we are informed, Luke 15:30, was among harlots; the readiest way in the world to exhaust the body, debase the mind, ruin the soul, and destroy the substance.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Gathered all together - Collected his property. If he had received flocks or grain, he sold them and converted them into money. As soon as this arrangement had been made he left his father‘s house.

Took his journey - Went, or traveled.

Into a far country - A country far off from his father‘s house. He went probably to trade or to seek his fortune, and in his wanderings came at last to this dissipated place, where his property was soon expended.

Wasted his substance - Spent his property.

In riotous living - Literally, “Living without saving anything.” He lived extravagantly, and in the most dissolute company. See Luke 15:30. By his wandering away we may understand that sinners wander far away from God; that they fall into dissolute and wicked company; and that their wandering so far off is the reason why they fall into such company, and are so soon and so easily destroyed.

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living.

The undisciplined life of the younger son quickly resulted in the waste, extravagance, and sinful living recounted here. This scene of irresponsible youth wasting the inheritance assembled at such cost of tears and labor on the part of their ancestors is repeated again and again in every generation, by countless thousands of people.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together,.... That his father had divided to him, all his goods and substance: as soon as a man has any internal substance, any considerable degree of natural knowledge, he immediately sets out from God, and employs it against him, in reasoning against him, against his being, his works, his providence, his purposes, his revelation, and will; as soon as a man has the exercise of his reason, as soon as he can think and speak, nay, as soon as he is born, he goes astray from God, speaking lies; and as soon as a wicked man has of this world, what his carnal heart desires, he is for living independent of God, and his providence; he is for gathering together all for himself, in order to spend it on his lusts, and at a distance from his father, the father of his mercies, of whom he is not mindful; and to whom he says, depart from me, having no regard to his worship and service, to his honour and glory, to his cause and interest:

and took his journey into a far country; which sets forth the state of alienation a sinner is in, while unconverted; he is afar off from God, from God the Father; from the presence of God, and communion with him: from the knowledge of God, and desire after it; from love to him, or fear of him; and from the life of God, or a living soberly, righteously, and godly; and from Christ, from the knowledge of him, from faith in him, love to him, fellowship with him, and subjection to his ordinances; and from the Spirit of God, and every thing that is spiritual; and from all that is good, from the law of God, and from the righteousness of it, and from righteous men:

and there wasted his substance in riotous living; his internal substance, his knowledge and understanding, even in natural things, and became brutish, and even like the beasts that perish; and his worldly substance in rioting and drunkenness, in chambering and wantonness, with harlots, as in Luke 15:30 whereby he was brought to a piece of bread, and to the want of it,

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

not many days — intoxicated with his new - found resources, and eager for the luxury of using them at Will.

a far country — beyond all danger of interference from home.

wasted, etc. — So long as it lasted, the inward monitor (Isaiah 55:2) would be silenced (Isaiah 9:10; Isaiah 57:10; Amos 4:6-10).

riotous living — (Luke 15:30), “with harlots.” Ah! but this reaches farther than the sensualist; for “in the deep symbolical language of Scripture fornication is the standing image of idolatry; they are in fact ever spoken of as one and the same sin, considered now in its fleshly, now in its spiritual aspect” (Jeremiah 3:1-15; Ezekiel 16:1-17:24) [Trench].

John Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels

13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

[He wasted his substance with riotous living.] Ought not this prodigal to be looked upon as that stubborn and rebellious son mentioned Deuteronomy 21:18? By no means, if we take the judgment of the Sanhedrim itself. For, according to the character that is given of a stubborn and rebellious son in Sanhedrim, cap. 8, where there is a set discourse upon that subject, there can hardly be such a one found in nature as he is there described. Unless he steal from his father and his mother, he is not such a son; unless he eat half a pound of flesh, and drink half a log of wine, he is not such a son. If his father or mother be lame or blind, he is not such a son, &c. Half a pound of flesh! It is told of Maximin, that "he drank frequently in one day a Capitoline bottle of wine, and ate forty pounds of flesh; or, as Cordus saith, threescore."

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

Not many days after (μετ ου πολλας ημερας — met' ou pollas hēmeras). Literally, after not many days. Luke is fond of this idiom (Luke 7:6; Acts 1:5).

Took his journey (απεδημησεν — apedēmēsen). First aorist active indicative of αποδημεω — apodēmeō (from αποδημος — apodēmos away from home). Common verb. In the N.T. here and Matthew 21:33; Matthew 25:14; Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9. He burned all his bridges behind him, gathering together all that he had.

Wasted (διεσκορπισεν — dieskorpisen). First aorist active indicative of διασκορπιζω — diaskorpizō a somewhat rare verb, the very opposite of “gathered together” (συναγογων — sunagogōn). More exactly he scattered his property. It is the word used of winnowing grain (Matthew 25:24).

With riotous living (ζων ασωτως — zōn asōtōs). Living dissolutely or profligately. The late adverb ασωτως — asōtōs (only here in the N.T.) from the common adjective ασωτος — asōtos (α — a privative and σωζω — sōzō), 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.

Vincent's Word Studies

All

Everything was taken out of the father's hands.

Took his journey ( ἀπεδήμησεν )

Answering to our phrasewent abroad.

Wasted ( διεσκόρπισεν )

The word used of winnowing grain. See on Matthew 25:24.

With riotous living ( ζῶν ἀσώτως )

Lit., living unsavingly. Only here in New Testament. The kindred noun, ἀσωτία , is rendered by the Rev., in all the three passages where it occurs, riot (Ephesians 5:18; Titus 1:6; 1 Peter 4:4). See note on the last passage.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

He took a journey into a far country — Far from God: God was not in all his thoughts: And squandered away his substance - All the grace he had received.

The Fourfold Gospel

And not many days after¹, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country²; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living³.

1. And not many days after. With all haste.

2. The younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country. He yearned for the spurious liberty of a land where he would be wholly independent of his father. Thus the sinful soul seeks to escape from the authority of God.

3. And there he wasted his substance with riotous living. Sin now indulges itself with unbridled license, and the parable depicts the sinner's course: (1) his season of indulgences (Luke 15:12,13); (2) his misery (Luke 15:14-16); (3) his repentance (Luke 15:17-20); (4) his forgiveness (Luke 15:20-24). On the phrase "riotus living", see Luke 15:20-24.

Abbott's Illustrated New Testament

Gathered all together; the property of various kinds which his father had bestowed upon him.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Ver. 13. Gathered all together] Convasatis veluti omnibus.

With riotous living] ασωτως {a} Not caring to save any part, sibi nihil reservaus, imo seipsum non servans, being such as safety itself could not save; whence the Latins call such a man perditum, an undone person. Such were those of whom Seneca saith, that singulis auribus bina aut terna dependent patrimonia, hanged two or three good lordships at their ears. And such are those among us that turn lands into laces, great rents into great ruffs, &c. The expenses of Apicus’ kitchen amounted to more than two millions of gold. {b} He having eaten up his estate, and finding by his account that he had no more than 200,000 crowns remaining, thought himself poor, and that this sufficed not to maintain his luxury; whereupon he drank down a glass of poison.

{a} ασωτος quasi ασωστος, unsavable.

{b} H. S. millies in culinam coniecisset. {Seneca, Moral Essays, l. 12. c. 10. (8-10) 2:453}

Sermon Bible Commentary

Luke 15:13

I. When principle is weak the far country is fatal. If any one is obliged to leave home—not from love of idleness, not from love of pleasure, not from love of liberty, but on such business as brings young men to our large towns every day—do not forget that God is here.

II. The portion of goods which fell to the prodigal must have been a handsome patrimony, and it would have been his wisdom to wait for it till the proper time. But with indecent haste he forestalled his reversion, and what he obtained so easily he quickly fooled away. Daily bread costs little, but dainties are dear, and are never so costly as when they are gifts from the devil.

J. Hamilton, Works, vol. ii., p. 287.

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Riotous Living.

I. Pleasant as is the lot of our inheritance, it is well to remember that the thickets and steep places are haunted. Frightful ogres frequent them, and they are sure to sally forth on the heedless wanderer. The names of three of the best known are: The Lust of the Eye, the Lust of the Flesh, and the Pride of Life; or, as they are sometimes called—Vanity, or the love of display; Sensuality, or the love of low pleasure; and the Affectation of Fashion, or the keeping-up of appearances.

II. If you would pass innocently through a difficult world keep within the rules. Let your life be open, your eye single, your walk in the broad light of day. To the great temptations the great antidote is not a limited income so much as a large self-denial.

J. Hamilton, Works, vol. ii., p. 300.

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References: Luke 15:13.—J. Bainton, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xix., p. 220; Ibid., vol. xxii., p. 220; Church of England Pulpit, vol. iii., p. 143.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Luke 15:13. With riotous living.— The phrase Ζων ασωτως implies, that he lived in every degree of luxury and sensuality. The account before us is short.—The interesting and affecting passages with which sucha transaction would necessarily be connected, are left to be supplied by the heart. The story is silent,—but nature is not. Much kind advice, and many a tender expostulation would fall from the father's lips, no doubt, upon this occasion. He would dissuade his son from the folly of so rash an enterprize, by shewing him the dangers of the journey, the inexperience of his age, the hazards that his life, his fortune, his virtue would run, without a guide, without a friend: he would tell him of the many snares and temptations which he had to avoid or encounter, at every step; the pleasures which would solicit him; the little knowledge he could gain, except that of evil: he would speak of the seductions of women, their charms, their poisons; what hapless indulgencies he might give wayto, when far from restraint, and the check of giving his father pain.—The dissuasion would but inflame his desire.—He gathers all together. I see the picture of his departure; the camels and asses laden with his substance, detached on one side of the piece, and already on their way,—the prodigal son standing on the fore-ground, with a forced sedateness, strugglingagainst the fluttering movement of joy upon his deliverance from restraint:—the elder brother holding his hand, as if unwilling to let it go:—the father,—sadmoment!withafirmlook covering a prophetic sentiment, that "all would not go well with his child,"—approaching to embrace him, and bid him adieu.—Poor inconsiderate youth! from whose arms art thou flying? From what a shelter art thou going forth into the storm? art thou weary of a father's affection, or a father's care? or hopest thou to find a warmer interest, or truer counsellor, or kinder friend, in a land of strangers,—where youth are made a prey, and so many thousands are confederated to deceive them, and live by their spoils?

Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary

13.] μακράν—probably not adverbial (Stier), but agreeing with χώραν, see reff., and Æsch. Prom. 814: Xen. Cyr. ver. 4. 47: compare however ἔθνη μακράν, Acts 22:21.

The images of both the preceding parables are united here:—in ἀπεδήμησεν we have the straying sheep; in his state when he got into the far country, the lost piece of money. But in this case the search is to be carried on within him—we are now on higher ground than in those two parables.

‘Regio longinqua est oblivio Dei,’ Augustine. (Trench, in loc.)

ἀσώτως] The old English word retchlessly expresses perhaps best the meaning, which is not ‘unsparingly’ (in which sense of ‘saving money’ I doubt σώζω ever being used), but incorrigibly, past hope of reclaim:— ἄσωτος, ὁ διʼ αὑτὸν ἀπολλύμενος, Aristot. Eth. iv. 1.

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

Luke 15:13. ἀσώτως) A word employed with great propriety. ἄσωτος, ὁ δἰ αὐτὸν ἀπολλύμενος, i.e. one destroyed by himself, his own worst enemy; Aristot. b. iv. Eth. ch. 1, where ἀσωτία is excess of liberality conjoined with intemperance. [In this state, he was dead to his Fatherland, Luke 15:24.—V. g.]

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

See Poole on "Luke 15:12"

Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture

собрав всё Очевидно, блудный сын взял свою часть в виде легко реализуемого имущества и ушел, оставляя своего отца и направляясь в жизнь, полную порока и греха.

живя распутно Это не просто расточительность, но также и чрезмерная распущенность (ст. 30). Переведенное греческое слово для «блудный» имеет значение «распутный», «развратный» и передает мысль о крайне развращенном образе жизни.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together (or ‘turned it all into cash’) and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted his substance with riotous living.”

After a period, we may assume with the agreement of his father, the son turned his portion into cash and went to a far country (far from the father). The idea was probably that there he would establish himself in business, and increase their fortune. It was quite a regular occurrence for Jews to go to the great cities for this purpose, and in doing so he would require capital, which explains the father’s willingness to allow him it.

But the son, once released from home, went to the bad. Instead of concentrating on business he gave himself up to a good time and the bright lights. He forgot his obligation to his father (who still had a right to the use and protection of the capital and to any income from it) and used the money to live extravagantly and immorally. It is very probable that the elder brother’s summary of his behaviour was very near to the truth (Luke 15:30).

This young man is a vivid representation of how large numbers live today. Like him they forget that it is God Who has given them their prosperity, and ignore His rights, and live totally to please themselves. They do not see themselves as having any responsibility towards the Father.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

13.Not many days after—This son has set up for himself, just as man desires to be independent of God. And being so, his next purpose is a due distance, where the will of God shall never seem to reach him, and if possible beyond the reach of his eye.

Gathered all together—His means were now all in a movable form, not in real estate; and he was fully prepared for a profligate squander.

Riotous living—The word here rendered riotous is used both in Latin and Greek, and expresses the utmost abandonment of character, and is in fact the original of the English word “sot.”

 

Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Luke 15:13. Comp. Matthew 6:24. Since the proper use of wealth is for God, those who do not thus use it are slaves to Mammon. The last verse implies that wealth is not our own, this implies that when it is used as our own, the presumed owner not only does not own it, but himself belongs to it.—There is not a word here capable of a communistic interpretation. Our Lord speaks of wealth as ‘that which is least,’ modern socialism regards money as the true riches. In principle, practice, and result, the two systems are totally divergent Christianity is the service of God, socialism the service of mammon,—judged by its fruits, ‘earthly, sensual’ and devilish.

The Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 15:13_{. : to be joined to : he went away as soon as possible, when he had had time to realise his property, in haste to escape into wild liberty or licence.— : the farther away the better.— ( pr. and , here only in N.T.), insalvably; the process of reckless waste, free rein given to every passion, must go on till nothing is left. This is what undisciplined freedom comes to.}

 

 

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

after. Greek meta. App-104. Referring to the rapidity of the fall of Israel.

took his journey = went abroad.

into. Greek. eis. App-104.

far country. Compare Acts 2:39. Ephesians 2:17.

substance = property. Same word as "goods" in Luke 15:12.

with riotous living = living ruinously. Greek. asotos. Occurs only here. The kindred noun (asotia) occurs only in Ephesians 5:18. Titus 1:6. 1 Peter 4:4.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And not many days after (intoxicated with his new-found resources, and eager for the luxury of using them at will), he took his journey into a far country - away from the paternal eye, beyond all danger rebuke or interference from home,

And there wasted his substance with riotous living, [ asootoos (Greek #811)] - or 'to the destroying of himself.' His brother's charge against him, that he had "devoured his father's living with harlots," shows what is meant, But ah! this reaches deeper than sensuality. Since the whole story is designed to set forth the degradation of our sonship, and the prostitution of our powers to purposes unworthy of our dignity and true destiny, we must understand the language as intended to express all that life of estrangement from God, self-seeking and low desire which are common, in different forms and degrees, to all who live "without God," who "have their portion in this life," who mind "earthly things." So long as his substance lasted, the inward monitor would be silenced, and the prodigal would take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry. At times, he would hear the whisper of expostulation, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is net bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not?" (Isaiah 55:2). But though his means were fast fading, he would say to himself, "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars" (Isaiah 9:10). So long as anything remained, he would hold out, "Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way: ye saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand: therefore thou wast not grieved" (Isaiah 57:10).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Took his journey into a far country.—Such instances of emigration were, we may believe, familiar things in most towns of Galilee and Judæa. The young man left his home, and started, bent on pleasure or on gain, for Alexandria, or Rome, or Corinth, and rumour came home of riotous living, and a fortune wasted upon harlots, sabbaths broken, synagogues unvisited, perhaps even of participation in idol feasts. In the interpretation that lies below the surface, the “far country” is the state of the human spirit, of the Gentile world, in their wanderings far off from God. The “riotous living” is the reckless waste of noble gifts and highest energies on unbridled sensuality of life, or sensuous, i.e., idolatrous, forms of worship. The fearful history traced in Romans 1:19-32, is but too faithful a picture of the wanderings of the younger son.

Riotous.—The exact meaning of the word is prodigal, thriftless.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

and took

2 Chronicles 33:1-10; Job 21:13-15; 22:17,18; Psalms 10:4-6; 73:27; Proverbs 27:8; Isaiah 1:4; 30:11; Jeremiah 2:5,13,17-19,31; Micah 6:3; Ephesians 2:13,17

wasted

30; 16:1,19; Proverbs 5:8-14; 6:26; 18:9; 21:17,20; 23:19-22; 28:7; 29:3; Ecclesiastes 11:9,10; Isaiah 22:13; 56:12; Amos 6:3-7; Romans 13:13,14; 1 Peter 4:3,4; 2 Peter 2:13

Reciprocal: Psalm 119:9 - shall;  Proverbs 19:4 - maketh;  Proverbs 23:20 - not;  Hosea 2:8 - her corn;  Mark 12:1 - and went;  Luke 15:15 - he went;  John 6:12 - that nothing;  1 Timothy 5:6 - she;  James 4:3 - ye may